#12 - Specific Reference, Must Be True, Purpose/Function

[Administrator]

Please post below with any questions!

[jaclyn.s]

I was between B and E for this question and ended up choosing E.

Re-reading the passage and analyzing the question, I see that B is correct because "identifying assumptions" correspond to lines 24-30 and "analysis in the first paragraph" correspond to lines 1-7. However, I still am unsure why E is wrong. I feel like it can be argued that lines 24-30 could be considered a "definitive conclusion" due to the the strength of the language the author uses to describe the assumptions, i.e., "For this kind of analysis to work, however, it must be..."

Can someone please help me deconstruct why E is wrong? Thank you!

[James Finch]

Hi Jaclyn,

The big issue with (E) here is the "definitive conclusion drawn from claims made in the second paragraph." The second paragraph is essentially background that sets up two separate reasons for elites to commission. The third paragraph explicitly deals with only one of these reasons, and so is immediately. Moreover, a "definitive conclusion" indicates a main point, whereas the identification of the assumptions inherent to Taruskin's analysis serves as an intermediate conclusion to the passage's main point, which is that artists could and did subvert their patrons' wishes and ideology and so do not simply reflect their patrons' class interests.

Understanding the role played by a paragraph in the overall argument being made can help cut through the attractive wrong answer choices like (E) and keep it to a more accurate description as we have in (B), especially for purpose questions.

Hope this helps!

[mollylynch]

Hi,

Are the two lines that support each other:

P1: "one of the defining characteristics is that it is produced by and for political and social elites."

P3: "because it enables them to construct a subtle analysis of the way such art embodied the ideology of the elite, whatever the identity of the artist."

Is the second sentence I wrote the assumption that we 'relied upon?'

I am so stuck on this! TY

[Jeff Wren]

Hi Molly,

The first line that you wrote looks good, but not the second.

First, notice in Answer B that the word "assumptions" is plural. We are looking for multiple (i.e. at least two) assumptions in paragraph 3.

Second, remember that assumptions by definition are statements that are necessary for an argument. In this case, we are looking for things that are necessary for this type of analysis.

Starting in line 24, "For this kind of analysis to work, however, it must be the case that ...." The word "must" is a necessary indicator and what follows is the first assumption. A few lines later (line 28), "it must also be the case that ..." and we get the second assumption.

Of course, the author disagrees with these assumptions and with Taruskin's view itself that high art always reflects the ideals/values of the elite class.