Critics maintain that the fiction of Herman Melville (1819–1891) has

You can also find OEs of the above mentioned questions

Question #4
https://gmatclub.com/forum/critics-main ... l#p2366022
Question #6
https://gmatclub.com/forum/critics-main ... l#p2366028

Good Luck

Thank you, but in my point of view, the OEs are terrible, especially for the Verbal section, so I only used them as a last resource...

most twentieth-century commentators
(10)⠀⠀regard Melville not as a novelist but as a writer of
⠀⠀⠀ romance, since they believe that Melville's fiction
⠀⠀⠀ lacks the continuity that James viewed as essential
⠀⠀⠀ to a novel: the continuity between what characters
⠀⠀⠀ feel or think and what they do, and the continuity
(15)⠀⠀between characters' fates and their pasts or original
⠀⠀⠀ social classes. Critics argue that only Pierre (1852),
⠀⠀⠀ because of its subject and its characters, is close to
⠀⠀⠀ being a novel in the Jamesian sense.

Commentators/critics tell us what Melville's writings are all about - they are romances, they lack continuity etc. Then they go on to say that only Pierre is a novel, an exception to Melville's usual writing.

4. The author probably mentions Melville's Pierre to

A. refute those literary critics who have made generalizations about the quality of Melville's fiction

The author does not refute the critics by mentioning Pierre. The critics mention that Pierre is the only exception to Melville's usual style.

B. argue that the portrayal of characters is one of Melville's more accomplished literary skills

No, critics mention Pierre as an exception. The author does not mention it to prove that Melville had great literary skill.

C. give an example of a novel that was thought by James to resemble his own fiction

We don't know what James thought of Melville's work. All we know is that James viewed continuity as essential to a novel: the continuity between what characters feel or think and what they do, and the continuity between characters' fates and their pasts or original social classes.

D. suggest that literary critics find few exceptions to what they believe is a characteristic of Melville's fiction

Correct. The passage says that critics find "only" Pierre to be an exception.

E. reinforce the contention of literary critics

Pierre does not reinforce the contention of the critics. It is the only exception to the critics' contention (that Melville wrote romances, not novels)

Answer (D)

It is true that Melville wrote
(25)⠀⠀“romances”; however, these are not the escapist
⠀⠀⠀ fictions this word often implies, but fictions that
⠀⠀⠀ range freely among very unusual or intense human
⠀⠀⠀ experiences. Melville portrayed such experiences
⠀⠀⠀ because he believed these best enabled him to
(30)⠀⠀explore moral questions, an exploration he assumed
⠀⠀⠀ was the ultimate purpose of fiction.

The author agrees that Melville wrote romances but he explains that he is using the word differently than what it usually implies.

6. Which of the following can logically be inferred from the passage about the author's application of the term “romance” to Melville's work?

A. The author uses the term in a broader way than did Melville himself.

How and if Melville used the term, we don't know.

B. The author uses the term in a different way than do many literary critics.

Correct. He says that he uses it differently. Not "escapist" but range freely among very unusual or intense human experiences.

C. The author uses the term in a more systematic way than did James.

Did James use the term, we don't know that.

D. The author's use of the term is the same as the term's usual meaning for twentieth-century commentators.

It is not the same - the author clarifies that.

E. The author's use of the term is less controversial than is the use of the term “novel” by many commentators.

We cannot compare what is more controversial and what is less.

Answer (B)

Critics maintain that the fiction of Herman Melville
⠀⠀⠀ (1819–1891) has limitations, such as its lack
⠀⠀⠀ of inventive plots after Moby-Dick (1851) and its
⠀⠀⠀ occasionally inscrutable style. A more serious, yet
(5)⠀⠀problematic, charge is that Melville is a deficient
⠀⠀⠀ writer because he is not a practitioner of the “art of
⠀⠀⠀ fiction,”
... and he spends the rest of the passage showing why Melville may not be called "deficient". He says that this charge is problematic and he explains why he thinks it is problematic. Melville may not be a Jamesian. He is different, but that does not mean he is deficient.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. make a case for the importance of skillful psychological motivation in well-written novels and romances

The passage is all about Melville's work. A general statement is not the primary purpose. We can review it if nothing else looks good.

B. contrast the romantic and novelistic traditions and assert the aesthetic superiority of the romantic tradition

The passage is all about Melville's work. A general statement is not the primary purpose. We can review it if nothing else looks good.

C. survey some of the responses to Melville's fiction put forward by James and twentieth-century literary critics

James put no responses forward to Melville's fiction as far as we are told.

D. argue that the charges made against Melville's fiction by literary critics are suspect and misleading

Are the charges (plural) suspect and misleading? He is refuting one charge - of being deficient. He doesn't say they are misleading either. Not the best option.

E. note several accusations made against Melville's fiction by literary critics and refute one of these accusations

Correct. He notes " lack of inventive plots after Moby-Dick (1851) and its occasionally inscrutable style" but he refutes only "deficient". He calls that problematic and goes on to explain why he thinks it is problematic.

Answer (E)

Will2020

I think this is a 700+ level difficulty passage

Amandhanani2627,
Hey if you check the top right hand corner, you will find the tags label, where you will find information regarding any of the questions uploaded on the forum (Difficulty, source of the question, what topic does it belong to etc)

For this question it clearly says that the difficulty level is between 600-700.

Hello, I need help with questions 5 and 6. Can someone please explain how would be eliminate other options to each the correct one?

5. Which of the following statements best describes the author's method of argumentation in lines 24–31?

A. The author describes an important standard of evaluation used by critics of Melville and then attacks that standard.
B. The author admits a contention put forward by critics of Melville but then makes a countercharge against those critics.
C. The author describes a charge advanced by critics of Melville and then points out a logical flaw in this charge.
D. The author provides evidence that seems to support a position held by critics of Melville but then demonstrates that the evidence actually supports a diametrically opposed position.
E. The author concedes an assertion made by critics of Melville but then mitigates the weight of the assertion by means of an explanation.


I get the fact that author is agreeing with critic that M uses romance but then give reasons to justify why M does that.



. Which of the following can logically be inferred from the passage about the author's application of the term “romance” to Melville's work?

A. The author uses the term in a broader way than did Melville himself.
B. The author uses the term in a different way than do many literary critics.
C. The author uses the term in a more systematic way than did James.
D. The author's use of the term is the same as the term's usual meaning for twentieth-century commentators.
E. The author's use of the term is less controversial than is the use of the term “novel” by many commentators.

I chose D , I can’t find it in the passage where romance is referred differently by critics and authors.


3. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the passage?

A. Melville's Unique Contribution to Romantic Fiction
B. Melville's Growing Reputation Among Twentieth-Century Literary Critics
C. Melville and the Jamesian Standards of Fiction: A Reexamination
D. Romantic and Novelistic: The Shared Assumptions of Two Traditions
E. The Art of Fiction: James's Influence on the Novelistic Tradition

Also here I chose E. Eliminated C because of REEXAMINATION, I somehow can’t figure how this standard are being re-examined. Passage most talks about M’s way of writing.

I read the explanations in the discussion but still confused . Please help someone.

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Vinit800HBS I got Q4 incorrect because I thought "Pierre" was some author's name and not Melville's work. How to resolve such issues while reading an RC passage? What gives way that "Pierre" is indeed a work of Melville and not a name of an author?

Hi Hoozan,



Do notice this line number 16 in the passage. It states that "Pierre" is close to being a novel.

Another clue that's quite prominent is the year 1852. The passage usually states a single year for the year of publication / event / revolution etc.
But if the passage wants to highlight some personality (in this passage "Herman Melville"), it will usually give the birth year and death year

Something like this as mentioned in the passage:


Another official passage

This was super helpful. Thank you so much

KarishmaB GMATNinja MartyTargetTestPrep

1. Q6- E- It is contrpersial to call his work novel instead of romance so why is it wrong? Since he writes about romances, it is certainly less controversial to callhis work 'romance'.

2. Q6-D- I know D is wrong but How do we know that author's use is definitely different from 20th century commentators? It takes about it not being 'escapist' as is usually the case but that does not tell us that commentators had the 'usual' belief.

3. Q6-B- Similarly for B, where can we see the critic's use of 'romance'? We just know 'usual' opinion is of 'escapist' but how do we know that it is critic's view as well?

4. Also what is the meaning of 'escapist fictions' phrase

5. Q8- I really do not get B. From the passage it seems that the author would likely agree that the literary value of a writer's fiction is determined by the degree to which the writer's fiction fulfills the writer's own conception of what fiction should accomplish. So clearly the criteria for a writer is to supersed his own presuppositions (what he expects fiction to be). What is wrong?

Question 6

Let's start with Question 6, answer choice (E):


You're correct that "most twentieth-century commentators regard Melville not as a novelist but as a writer of romance." So calling Melville's works "novels" probably would be controversial.

However, notice that's not exactly what (E) is claiming. It asks us to consider the use of the term novel "by many commentators," but it never indicates that these commentators are applying "romance" to Melville. And nowhere in the passage are we told that most commentators use the word "novel" in some controversial way. For that reason, we can eliminate (E).

Let's now consider (D):


As you point out, the passage never explicitly states that most twentieth century commentators use the word "romance" to mean "escapist." But it does tell us "escapist" is what the terms "romance" commonly implies. In other words, when people use the term "romance" they commonly mean "escapist." So unless twentieth century commentators are using the word "romance" in some unusual way (and we have no reason to think they would), it's reasonable to conclude they use "romance" to imply "escapist."

The author, on the other hand, believes the word "romance" does not mean "escapist," but rather "fictions that range freely" among intense experiences. For that reason, (D) is wrong.

Let's consider (B):


Based on the above analysis, we can reasonably conclude that most critics use the word "romance" to mean "escapist." But the author uses the word "romance" to mean "fictions that range freely" among intense experiences. Since it's reasonable to conclude that the author uses "romance" in a different way than most literary critics, (B) is correct.
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Question 8

As you suggest, the author believes that fiction should be evaluated according to "the writer's own conception of what fiction should accomplish." That's a pretty good summary of what (D) says, in fact.

Answer choice (B), on the other hand, doesn't mention the author's own conceptions. It just says that fiction should "supersede" the "conventions of a tradition." But what if an author's "premises about fiction" are the same or similar to the "conventions of a tradition?" In that case, an author could fulfill BOTH their own premises and the "conventions of a tradition." From another angle -- just because a writer "supersedes" convention doesn't mean they achieved their own premises, so that alone wouldn't make them a successful writer.

In summary, the author's argument suggests that fiction should be evaluated according to a writer's own premises. It doesn't claim that fiction should be evaluated in terms of how "skillfully the fiction supersedes" convention. For that reason, (B) is wrong.

Lastly, that's a good question about the meaning of the phrase "escapist fiction." In general, whenever passages have unusual vocabulary, the surrounding context should explain what we need to know. In this case, as long as we know that "escapist" is something different from "fictions that range freely" among intense experiences, we're in good shape.


One dictionary definition of escapist is "fiction that provides psychological escape from reality." Good to know! Unfortunately, that wouldn't have helped us all that much with the questions. On the other hand, focusing on the surrounding passage to define the unusual term gave us all we needed to know.

I hope that helps!
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GMATNinja, sajjad, @Karishmaveritas;

While understanding the passage, I inferred that critics by showing that in all the volume of work produced by Meville - only one work, Piere, manages to come close to James' version of Fiction.

According to this method of thinking - answer should be E - it is reinforcing the criticism for Meville's work not being a novel but a romantic ?

The critics' contention is that that Melville "is not a practitioner of the 'art of fiction,' as critics have conceived of this art since the late nineteenth-century essays and novels of Henry James." So the critics contend that Melville's novels are NOT like James's novels.

But Pierre is an example of a novel by Melville that IS "close to being a novel in the Jamesian sense". By itself, this example actually goes against the art critics' claim.

Yes, the fact that there is only one example does indirectly support the critics' claim. But the question doesn't ask, "Why does the author tell us that Melville has only one Jamesian novel?" Instead, the question asks, "Why does the author mention Pierre?"

(D) explains the specific role of the Pierre reference, so it's the better choice.

I hope that helps!
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1. The primary purpose of the passage is (E) note several accusations made against Melville's fiction by literary critics and refute one of these accusations.
The passage introduces and discusses various criticisms leveled against the fiction of Herman Melville, such as the lack of inventive plots and occasionally inscrutable style. It then focuses on the more serious charge that Melville is a deficient writer because he does not conform to the "art of fiction" as conceived by Henry James and twentieth-century critics. The passage refutes this accusation and argues that Melville should be judged based on his own presuppositions about fiction.

2. The author draws the conclusion that (D) Melville and James should be viewed as different sorts of writers and one should not be regarded as inherently superior to the other.
The passage argues against the notion that Melville's fiction is deficient because it does not possess the qualities of a Jamesian novel. Instead, the author suggests that Melville and James should be considered different types of writers, each with their own distinct approaches to fiction. The passage does not explicitly discuss the superiority of one over the other.

3. The most appropriate title for the passage is (C) Melville and the Jamesian Standards of Fiction: A Reexamination.
The passage primarily explores the criticisms made against Melville's fiction, particularly in relation to the standards set by Henry James and twentieth-century critics. It discusses the differences in approach and presuppositions between Melville and James, and challenges the notion that Melville's work should be judged based on Jamesian standards.

4. The author mentions Melville's Pierre to (D) suggest that literary critics find few exceptions to what they believe is a characteristic of Melville's fiction.
In the passage, Pierre is mentioned as the only work by Melville that is considered close to a novel in the Jamesian sense. By bringing up Pierre, the author implies that critics find few exceptions to the generalization they make about the quality of Melville's fiction.

5. The author's method of argumentation in lines 24-31 can be described as (E) The author concedes an assertion made by critics of Melville but then mitigates the weight of the assertion by means of an explanation.
In lines 24-31, the author acknowledges the charge made by critics that Melville's romances do not provide a full understanding of characters' motives and events' sequence. However, the author explains that Melville intentionally sacrifices continuity and credibility to emphasize sharply delineated moral values. The author's explanation mitigates the weight of the critics' assertion.

6. From the passage, it can be inferred that the author's application of the term "romance" to Melville's work (B) The author uses the term in a different way than do many literary critics.
The passage describes Melville's works as "romances" but clarifies that the term does not imply escapist fictions. The author states that Melville's romances range freely among unusual or intense human experiences and serve to explore moral questions. The author's use of the term "romance" differs from the typical connotations associated with it, which are often used by many literary critics.

7. It can be inferred that the author's estimation of the romantic and novelistic traditions of fiction is that (A) The romantic tradition should be considered at least as valuable as the novelistic tradition in the examination of human experience.
The passage presents Melville's fiction as falling within the romantic tradition, emphasizing its exploration of intense human experiences and moral questions. The author argues against the charge that Melville's work is deficient by highlighting the significance of the romantic tradition and its ability to depict sharply delineated moral values. This suggests that the author views the romantic tradition as valuable in examining human experience.

8. The author of the passage would be most likely to agree that a writer's fiction should be evaluated by (D) How well that fiction fulfills the premises about fiction maintained by the writer of the fiction.
The passage repeatedly emphasizes that Melville had his own presuppositions about fiction and judged his own work based on those beliefs. The author argues that Melville should be evaluated based on how well his fiction fulfills his own premises about fiction, rather than conforming to external standards or conventions.

I did not understand the explanations of Q4. given above.
From the passage, we see:

since they believe that Melville's fiction lacks the continuity that James viewed as essential to a novel: the continuity between what characters feel or think and what they do, and the continuity between characters' fates and their pasts or original
social classes

Between the 2 answer choices D and E, I picked E because if you see the lines mentioned above..The author says that Melville's fiction lacks continuity...and, then introduces Pierre's writing style that they liked..which means that whatever they have mentioned before about Melville's fiction that it lacks continuity, they are trying to reinforce their statement by bringing in Pierre's example.


Also, how do we understand the meaning of contention and tough words like this while picking the answer choices? Does not knowing the meaning of contention makes any difference here?

GMATNinja KarishmaB please help.

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Question 4

In case it isn't clear, Pierre is a book by Melville. (Like Moby Dick, it's followed by what appears to be its publication year. These book titles should be italicized and presumably are in the actual GMAT source book.) It's also the one book of Melville's that, according to the critics, DOES have some continuity.

The precise definition of "contention" doesn't seem to be the issue for you -- it's just something that critics assert or argue for (i.e. that Melville's books aren't Jamesian novels because they lack continuity), so it looks like you have the right idea from that perspective.

But if that's the contention and the author is trying to REINFORCE that contention, why bring up the only book of Melville's that DOES have some continuity? It's not exactly the best piece of evidence. Sure, it reminds us of the critics' belief that Melville's books lack continuity, but it doesn't give us any reason to actually agree with the critics.

In other words, the Pierre example at best just reiterates the critics' contention and doesn't do much to strengthen or support that contention. If anything, it softens the critics' stance a bit, by letting us know that there are exceptions to their contention.

(D) is a better fit: the critics might be willing to admit that there's SOME continuity in SOME of Melville's works (such as Pierre), but those examples are few and far between. In fact, those examples are so rare that critics can only find one work of Melville's that even comes CLOSE to being considered a Jamesian novel.

Tough call though, so don't lose too much sleep over this one!­­­
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