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

[Annie O.]

Hi there!

I am wondering why answer B is incorrect. If "the only reality artists could portray " were politically influenced, then doesn't that make it an "inescapable melding" of artistic and political ideas?

I just posted the answers A and B here so I/we can reference them easier.


A introduce the set of political and artistic ideas that spurred the development of two artistic movements described in the subsequent paragraphs
B acknowledge the inescapable melding of political ideas and artistic styles in China


Thank you!

Annie

[Poonam Agrawal]

Hi Annie!

When answering author's purpose questions, we have to consider what role the specified portion of text plays in the overall passage. The question asks for the "primary function" of the first paragraph, so we have to not only find an answer that is true, we also must find an answer that indicates the broader purpose of that specific paragraph.

Answer choice (B) only attempts one of those things - it is a mostly true statement. The reason I say mostly true is because the answer choice refers to China in the present, whereas the first paragraph only refers to China in the past. However, the bigger issue with answer choice (B) is that it doesn't really tell us anything about the first paragraph's overall function. Maybe the paragraph at some point does acknowledge the melding of political ideas and artistic styles in China, but this acknowledgment is not really the main purpose of that paragraph.

The first paragraph's main purpose is to serve as an introduction to the Cultural Revolution's ironic role in leading to the Scar Art movement and the Native Soil movement. Answer choice (A) encapsulates this idea beautifully - it is a true statement AND it tells us why that first paragraph is there in the passage.

I hope this helps!

[LSATQueen2024]

Hi

I was stuck between A and C; I ultimately went with C, but can someone explain why C is wrong and why A is right? I actually thought I selected A, but I was surprised to see that I went with C.
I was also considering B. Can I receive an explanation for why this answer choice is incorrect as well?

Thank You

[Robert Carroll]

LSATQueen2024,

The first paragraph gives us background. The Cultural Revolution happened, and it was an inherently political movement, but it also had artistic consequences. The passage isn't about the Cultural Revolution, though, it's about two movements that came later, and in reaction to it. We actually already have that idea from doing question #6 for this passage, where the correct answer is answer choice (E).

Well, everything in answer choice (A) is certainly true based on what I just said, so I like that. For answer choice (C), it's not the purpose of the paragraph - the paragraph isn't an aside. It fulfills a function in the whole passage. A discussion of the Cultural Revolution in a passage that will go beyond that revolution to discuss later effects can only be instrumental in making that broader point. To put it bluntly, the author doesn't really care about the Cultural Revolution except insofar as that provides the background of the later developments. Answer choice (C) makes it seem like the Cultural Revolution is something the author cares about for its own sake. It's not.

Answer choice (B) is explained in the post right above yours.

Robert Carroll