#9 - Author's Perspective

[lathlee]

Hi. In here, I know author's attitude is positive toward Roy Lichtenstein's work. but I cannot find anywhere in the text in pinpoint distinguish D or E as one of them are wrong answers. cuz I see both of them as right. I got this question wrong 4 times. even in the powerscore's lesson book explanation, lines to support answer 3 is correct are located in 43-55, but they seem also support D as the correct answer.

[Adam Tyson]

Where in those lines are you finding that Lichtenstein did anything to "critique contemporary culture", lathlee? That's what's wrong with answer D. He isn't critical of contemporary culture, but views it a bit naively and sweetly, according to these lines. Our author never seems all that interested in the way that Lichtenstein critiqued anything, but about the way he mixed realism and comic-book conventions to exude a sense of nostalgia. "Critique" is too negative a term in this context. Does that help to explain the difference between those two answer, and what makes E the better choice? Hope so! Keep at it!

[ashpine17]

I thought he critiqued consumer culture by showing what it was missing?

[Adam Tyson]

That's what's missing from contemporary painting, not contemporary culture. Important difference!

[mcdonnks]

Hi, I put B and don't quite understand why E is the answer. The previous posts don't seem like full explanations.

[Luke Haqq]

Hi mcdonnks!

I can definitely address why answer choice (E) is correct.

To speak to answer choice (B) first, one reason against that one is that it is too narrow. Youth and innocence are mentioned in relation to Lichtenstein's work such as its comic-book appearance (line 49), but the passage also indicates that his work was important for other reasons.

Answer choice (E) captures this more multifaceted understanding of his work: the author shows "appreciation for its ability to incorporate both realism and naivete." This incorporates the youth and innocence aspect, but also the importance of Liechtenstein's work beyond that. This multifaceted understanding of his work comes across, for example, in the final sentence of the passage: "His persistent use of comic-art conventions demonstrates a faith in reconciliation, not only between cartoons and fine art, but between parody and true feeling" (lines 52-55).

[ashpine17]

I hate that all the answers are positive.

Why is A incorrect? is "rebellious" too much to describe work that transcends parody?

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

It's not that his work isn't rebellious, ashpine, it's that the rebellion is not the aspect of Lichtenstein's work that the author is particularly impressed by or enthusiastic about. If you look at line 31 or so, you see that the author is almost dismissive of the rebellious aspect of Lichtenstein's work. Yeah, sure it was rebellious, but that was just such a small part of what the author cared about. So the author's attitude wouldn't best be captured by enthusiasm toward an aspect of the art that the author didn't really recognize as particularly impressive or interesting.