Professor Chan: The literature department’s undergraduate courses shou

Fun question, and one that has been commented on. Nonetheless, I thought I'd drop my two cents .

The crux of Professor Wigmore's statement comes at the very end, "Therefore, it is the literature department's...courses.' There is a major assumption here, and it is about the literature department's responsibility. Professor Chan has it that this responsibility is only limited to "true" works of literature. Wigmore feel that any text amenable to analysis falls under the department's purview. So his assumption is that responsibility is not limited to just "true" literary works, which matches up nicely with (E).

Part of what made this question tricky are the other answer choices, which I've dealt with one at a time below .


Professor Chan: The literature department’s undergraduate courses should cover only true literary works, and not such frivolous material as advertisements.
Professor Wigmore: Advertisements might or might not be true literary works but they do have a powerfully detrimental effect on society—largely because people cannot discern their real messages. The literature department’s courses give students the critical skills to analyze and understand texts. Therefore, it is the literature department’s responsibility to include the study of advertisements in its undergraduate courses.


Which one of the following is an assumption on which Professor Wigmore’s argument depends?

(A) Texts that are true literary works never have a detrimental effect on society.

We are focused on texts that are not true literary works, i.e., advertisements.

(B) Courses offered by the literature department cannot include both true literary works and material such as advertisement.

This point doesn't address Wigmore's conclusion. This answer choice would refer to an assumption of Professor Chan.

(C) Students who take courses in the literature department do not get from those courses other skills besides those needed to analyze and understand texts.

The point of the argument is what to do with the analytical skills: analyze "true" literature or analyze anything textual.

(D) Forms of advertising that convey their message entirely through visual images do not have a detrimental effect on society.

While Wigmore is focused on advertising, he is not focusing on the visual component.

(E) The literature department’s responsibility is not limited to teaching students how to analyze true literary works.

The Answer.

Professor Chan: Against covering Advertisements in the literature class.
Professor Wigmore: Advertisements have harmful effects on the society because people cannot recognize the real meaning behind them. These courses give students skills to analyze and understand texts. Hence it is the responsibility of the department to include advertisements in the course.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which Professor Wigmore’s argument depends?

(A) Texts that are true literary works never have a detrimental effect on society. - Focus is on the advertisements according to Wigmore, hence irrelevant - Incorrect
(B) Courses offered by the literature department cannot include both true literary works and material such as advertisement. - It creates a clash between what both professors think and assume. - Incorrect
(C) Students who take courses in the literature department do not get from those courses other skills besides those needed to analyze and understand texts. - Talking about other skills besides analyzing and understanding texts is irrelevant - Incorrect
(D) Forms of advertising that convey their message entirely through visual images do not have a detrimental effect on society. - Advertisements through Visual images is out of scope - Incorrect
(E) The literature department’s responsibility is not limited to teaching students how to analyze true literary works. - Wigmore argues that it is the responsibility of the deparment to include advertisements in the course. Option E correctly links the conclusion to the argument. - Correct

Hope the explanation helps.

(E)The literature department’s responsibility is limited to teaching students how to analyze true literary works.

I guess the trap over here is whether ads are true literary works or not !! its not clear whether they are true literary works or not... So if we take that they are true literary works then E becomes incorrect...

IMO answer is C

The conclusion is "it is the literature department’s responsibility to include the study of advertisements in its undergraduate courses". To make things simple, I follow the least extreme negation approach.

Choice E :"The literature department’s responsibility is not limited to teaching students how to analyze true literary works." Least extreme negation of this would be something like " The literature department’s responsibility may be limited to teaching students how to analyze true literary works. This clearly kills the conclusion. Hence choice E would be the best answer. The same technique can be applied to the other answer choices to reveal that the negation of those would not be having any adverse effect on the conclusion.

C is a classic TRAP because it plays with on your mind with words.
Consider this:

Students who take courses in the literature department do not get from those courses other skills besides those needed to analyze and understand texts.

When I read it really fast under exam pressure: This is how I read it --> Student's cannot ge these skills such as analyze and understand texts from any other courses in the litreature department. THIS IS AN ASSUMPTION!

Now when I read the statement REAAAAAALLLLYYYY SLLOOOWLLLY --> There is no other skill which students can gain from the courses in the literature department. THIS IS NOT AN ASSUMPTION!

Professor Chan: The literature department’s undergraduate courses should cover only true literary works, and not such frivolous material as advertisements.
Professor Wigmore: Advertisements might or might not be true literary works but they do have a powerfully detrimental effect on society—largely because people cannot discern their real messages. The literature department’s courses give students the critical skills to analyze and understand texts. Therefore, it is the literature department’s responsibility to include the study of advertisements in its undergraduate courses.


Here Professor Wigmore replies to Chan's statement by suggesting that Advertisements in the literature department's courses gives critical skills & hence is required. If there was an option to include both, then the argument by Wigmore does not have any stand. So, Wigmore's argument assumes that there is no provision to include both

Which one of the following is an assumption on which Professor Wigmore’s argument depends?
(A) Texts that are true literary works never have a detrimental effect on society. This is not assumed
(B) Courses offered by the literature department cannot include both true literary works and material such as advertisement.--Correct
(C) Students who take courses in the literature department do not get from those courses other skills besides those needed to analyze and understand texts.This is outside scope of argument
(D) Forms of advertising that convey their message entirely through visual images do not have a detrimental effect on society.This is out of scope
(E) The literature department’s responsibility is not limited to teaching students how to analyze true literary works.We are not sure if the advertisements also contain literary value

Hope this helps.

Conclusion : it is the literature department’s responsibility to include the study of advertisements in its undergraduate courses.

(A) Texts that are true literary works never have a detrimental effect on society.
(B) Courses offered by the literature department cannot include both true literary works and material such as advertisement.--Correct
(C) Students who take courses in the literature department do not get from those courses other skills besides those needed to analyze and understand texts.This is outside scope of argument
(D) Forms of advertising that convey their message entirely through visual images do not have a detrimental effect on society.This is out of scope
(E) The literature department’s responsibility is not limited to teaching students how to analyze true literary works.We are not sure if the advertisements also contain literary value

E

I picked E as well.

(A) Texts that are true literary works never have a detrimental effect on society. -- Too extreme and looks like assumed.
(B) Courses offered by the literature department cannot include both true literary works and material such as advertisement. -- Opposite to the actual conclusion. That is NOT what Prof. W recommends.
(C) Students who take courses in the literature department do not get from those courses other skills besides those needed to analyze and understand texts. -- This is outside scope of argument
(D) Forms of advertising that convey their message entirely through visual images do not have a detrimental effect on society. -- This is out of scope
(E) The literature department’s responsibility is not limited to teaching students how to analyze true literary works.We are not sure if the advertisements also contain literary value -- By POE

There are two competitors here: (C) and (E):

Professor Chan: The literature department’s undergraduate courses should cover only true literary works and not such frivolous material as advertisements.

Professor Wigmore: Advertisements might or might not be true literary works but they do have a powerfully detrimental effect on society—largely because people cannot discern their real messages. The literature department’s courses give students the critical skills to analyze and understand texts. Therefore, it is the literature department’s responsibility to include the study of advertisements in its undergraduate courses.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which Professor Wigmore’s argument depends?

(A) Texts that are true literary works never have a detrimental effect on society. -- We only talk about advertisements, not literary works, so it is too broad and out of scope
(B) Courses offered by the literature department cannot include both true literary works and material such as advertisement. -- Negate it, and who cares if they offer both?
(C) Students who take courses in the literature department do not get from those courses other skills besides those needed to analyze and understand texts. -- Who cares what they also get from the courses as long as they get what the professor stated? Again, doesn't help or destroy the argument
(D) Forms of advertising that convey their message entirely through visual images do not have a detrimental effect on society. -- Reinforces the first sentence when negated, so doesn't help our argument
(E) The literature department’s responsibility is not limited to teaching students how to analyze true literary works. -- The literature department's responsibility is LIMITED to.......so if we cannot teach beyond how to analyze, this argument falls apart. Winner

Professor Wigmore states that advertisements have a powerful effect on society and that people cannot understand the advertisements true meaning. Additionally, the Professor claims the literature department is designed to teach students critical skills to analyze and understand texts. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the literature department is not solely responsible for teaching students how to analyze only literature works.

Answer choice E.

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