Richard L. Jacksons most recent book, Black Writers in Latin America,

Question

Richard L. Jackson’s most recent book, Black
Writers in Latin America, continues the task of his
previous project, The Black Image in Latin American
Literature. But whereas the earlier work examined
  (5)   ethnic themes in the writings of both black and
non-black authors, the new study examines only
black writers living in Latin America (that is,
African Hispanic writers). Consequently, there is a
shift in emphasis. While the earlier book studied
  (10)   various attitudes toward black people in Latin
America as revealed in a wide range of literature,
the later work examines the black representation of
black consciousness in Spanish American literature
from the early nineteenth century to the present.

(15)   In Black Writers in Latin America, Jackson states
that “personal identification with blackness and
personal experience with the black experience have
a great deal to do with a black writer’s choice of
words, symbols, and images.” He goes on to argue
  (20)   that only black writers have the necessary insight
and mastery of the appropriate techniques to depict
their situation authentically. In this regard, Jackson
joins a number of other North American critics who
tend to conceptualize African Hispanic literature as
  (25)   culturally autonomous, with its own style and
themes deriving primarily from the experience of
oppression in African Hispanic history. Critics
influenced by the Latin American ideal of racial
blending, on the other hand, believe that black and
  (30)   non-black writers share the same cultural context
and that, given comparable talent, both are equally
equipped to overcome their ethnocentrism.
Although Jackson clearly embraces the North
American perspective, he does concede in his
  (35)   introduction that most African Hispanic writers
espouse integration rather than separatism.

At times Jackson’s own analysis reveals the
problems inherent in using ethnicity as the primary
basis for critical judgment: the textual evidence he
  (40)   cites sometimes subverts the intent to find common
tendencies among all writers of a particular racial
group. For example, in his chapter on Nicolás
Guillén, Jackson attempts to dissociate the black
Cuban poet from the Negrista movement, claiming
  (45)   that “rather than associate Guillén with poetic
Negrism, we should see his dramatic conversion to
blackness in the late 1920s and early 1930s as a
reaction against this white literary fad that was
sweeping the world.” Admittedly, several of
  (50)   Guillén’s poems from the 1920s show an awareness
of social ills like poverty, unemployment, and racial
discrimination that is absent from the work of peers
influenced by the Negrista movement. But it is
difficult to argue that Guillén’s portraits of black
  (55)   people in poems from the early 1930s such as
“Canto negro” and “Rumba” are more authentic
and less superficial than those in Luis Palés Matos’s
“Danza negra” or Emilio Ballagas’s “Elegía de
María Belén Chacón.” This effort to distance
  (60)   Guillén from his Hispanic colleagues thus fails,
given the very texts Jackson uses to demonstrate his
points.    1 
 1. According to the passage, which one of the following is true of Jackson’s earlier study of African Hispanic literature?

(A) It discusses the black experience as it is revealed in the works of African Hispanic writers exclusively.
(B) It considers diverse views about black people found in the works of both black and nonblack writers.
(C) It examines the representation of black identity in almost two centuries of Spanish American literature.
(D) It focuses on the North American conception of African Hispanic literature.
(E) It emphasizes themes of integration in the works of both black and non-black writers.

2 
 2. Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously undermine Jackson’s use of ethnicity as a basis for critical judgment of African Hispanic literature?

(A) Several nineteenth-century authors whose novels Jackson presents as reflecting the black experience in Latin America have been discovered to have lived in the United States before moving to Central America.
(B) Luis Palés Matos, Emilio Ballagas, and several other Hispanic poets of the Negrista movement have been shown to have plagiarized the work of African Hispanic poets.
(C) It has been discovered that African Hispanic authors in Latin America over the last two centuries usually developed as writers by reading and imitating the works of other black writers.
(D) A significant number of poems and novels in which early-twentieth-century Hispanic writers consider racial integration have been discovered.
(E) Several poems that are presented by Jackson as authentic portraits of the black experience have been discovered to be misattributed to black poets and can instead be traced to non-black poets.

3 
 3. Which one of the following best describes the organization of the second paragraph?

(A) A point of view is described and then placed in context by being compared with an opposing view.
(B) A point of view is stated, and contradictory examples are cited to invalidate it.
(C) A point of view is explained, related to the views of others, and then dismissed as untenable.
(D) A point of view is cited and, through a comparison with another view, is shown to depend on a faulty assumption.
(E) A point of view is put forward, shown to lack historical perspective, and then juxtaposed with another view.

4 
 4. According to the passage, which one of the following is true of some of Nicolás Guillén’s poems from the 1920s?

(A) They contain depictions of black people that are less realistic than those in the works of non-black poets.
(B) They show greater attention to certain social ills than do poems by his contemporaries.
(C) They demonstrate that Guillén was a leading force in the founding of the Negrista movement.
(D) They are based on Guillén’s own experience with racial discrimination, poverty, and unemployment.
(E) They served as stylistic and thematic models for poems by Luis Palés Matos and Emilio Ballagas.

5 
 5. It can be inferred that the author of the passage would most likely agree with which one of the following statements concerning an author’s capacity to depict the African Hispanic experience?

(A) Validating only the representations of African Hispanic consciousness found in works written by black writers is a flawed approach because many of the most convincing portraits of any racial group are produced by outsiders.
(B) African Hispanic writers, because of their personal experience with African Hispanic culture, are uniquely capable of depicting authentic black characters and experiences.
(C) While seeking an authentic representation of the African Hispanic experience in the works of black writers may provide valuable insights, it is fallacious to attribute authenticity solely on the basis of the race of the author.
(D) Although both black and non-black writers are equally capable of representing the African Hispanic experience, their contributions to African Hispanic literature should be considered separately.
(E) The styles and themes relating to the African Hispanic experience that are found in writings by black authors should serve as the models by which writings by non-black authors are judged for their authenticity.

6 
 6. Which one of the following approaches to a study of Hungarian identity in painting is most analogous to the North American approach to African Hispanic literature?

(A) Paintings by ethnic Hungarians and by foreigners living in Hungary should comprise the major focus of the study.
(B) Paintings by ethnic Hungarians and the aspects of those paintings that make their style unique should provide the central basis for the study.
(C) Paintings by Hungarians and non-Hungarians that are most popular with the Hungarian people should comprise the central basis for the study.
(D) The central focus of the study should be to find ways in which ethnic Hungarian painters conform to worldwide artistic movements in their works.
(E) The most important theme in the study should be how paintings created by ethnic Hungarians express universal human concerns.

7 
 7. Which one of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?

(A) A central feature of Jackson’s approach to African Hispanic literature, shared by some other critics, can be shown to have significant weaknesses.
(B) Jackson’s reliance on the Latin American perspective of racial blending and integration in his analysis of African Hispanic literature leads him to make at least one flawed argument.
(C) The African Hispanic authors, poets, and texts that Jackson chooses to analyze in his most recent book are unrepresentative of Spanish American literature and thus lead him to faulty conclusions.
(D) Jackson’s emphasis on black writers’ contributions to African Hispanic literature in his latest book undercuts the assumptions underlying his own previous work on Spanish American literature.
(E) Jackson’s treatment of Guillén reveals a misplaced effort to integrate African Hispanic writers into worldwide literary movements.

RC Butler 2023  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 94 Date: 06-Apr-2023
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2023 .  Click here for Details

Source:   LSAT Preptest February 1997   
 Difficulty Level:   650

mitron · Answer

Hi Sajjad, Can you provide the difficulty level of all questions and of the passage as a whole please

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Here is my honest opinion.

Question #1: 650
Question #2: 600
Question #3: 700
Question #4: 600
Question #5: 600
Question #6: 650
Question #7: 700

Overall: 650

AKukreja · Answer

Hey, Sajjad! Can you please provide answers of Ques 1, 3 and 4?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

1. According to the passage, which one of the following is true of Jackson’s earlier study of African Hispanic literature?

Explanation

Jackson’s earlier study is discussed only in  Para 1 , so let’s go there to research. According to  lines 4–6 , the newer book examined ethnic themes in writings of black and non-black authors, and according to  lines 9–11 , the earlier book examined a wider range of views about blacks in literature.  (B)  captures both these aspects.

(A)  and  (C)  both confuse Jackson’s earlier book with his newer book.

(D)  The North American conception of African Hispanic literature is discussed in  Para 2 . Strategically determine where to research so that you can confidently eliminate answers such as this one.

(E)  The earlier book is said to examine  “ethnic themes”  in the works of black and non-black writers, but that’s not necessarily the same as integration, which isn’t brought up until  Para 2.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

3. Which one of the following best describes the organization of the second paragraph?

Explanation

A glance at the answer choices shows that they are very similarly worded. Guard against Distortions and subtle wrong answer choices by predicting. In  Para 2 , the author first presents Jackson’s viewpoint (“Jackson states”; “he goes on to argue”). Then the author cites critics who agree with Jackson, and critics who disagree with his viewpoint (notice the keywords “on the other hand”). So it appears that the author outlines an argument and then places that argument in a broader context by comparing it with the opposite viewpoint. This matches  (A)  perfectly.

(B)  Jackson’s point of view isn’t invalidated (yet); it’s just juxtaposed with an opposing point of view.

(C)  Jackson’s view is never dismissed. The author doesn’t go that far anywhere in the passage.

(D)  The author’s criticism of Jackson’s work doesn’t come along until  Para 3. Para 2  just contains a comparison of Jackson’s views to those of other critics.

(E)  mentions that  Para 2  shows Jackson’s view to lack historical perspective. If anything, the author says that Jackson and critics who agree with him rely on historical perspective to explain the style and themes of African Hispanic literature.

Answer: A

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

4. According to the passage, which one of the following is true of some of Nicolás Guillén’s poems from the 1920s?

Explanation

Guillen is discussed throughout most of  Para 3 , so look more closely at the question stem to find exactly where to look. We want to find an answer that is true about  “some of Guillen’s poems.”  That restricts us to  lines 49–59 , which tell us that the poems show an awareness of social ills that is unique among members of the Negrista movement. This is enough to lead us straight to  (B) , which almost repeats the passage verbatim.

(A)  The passage says that Guillen’s depictions of blacks are probably not more authentic and less superficial than those of his non-black contemporaries. However, the passage doesn’t say that the depictions are less authentic. Perhaps all the depictions are equally authentic.

(C)  If anything,  Para 3  tells us that Guillen’s poems contain features that are distinct from those of Negrista poets. Nowhere does the author discuss Guillen’s role in the founding of the movement.

(D)  is outside the scope. We never find out whether Guillen himself experienced the injustices of which he demonstrated awareness.

(E)  The passage compares the poems of Guillen to those of Matos and Ballagas in only one regard—their depictions of blacks. There’s no information as to Guillen’s influence on the other two poets.

Answer: B

1500SAT · Answer

Hi! Can you explain questions 5,6 and 7. Thank you

Posted from my mobile device

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. It can be inferred that the author of the passage would most likely agree with which one of the following statements concerning an author’s capacity to depict the African Hispanic experience?

Explanation

We have to find an answer in line with the author’s point of view, so take a moment to distinguish between the author’s viewpoint and that of Jackson. Jackson believes that an author’s blackness is the chief qualification for an authentic representation of the African Hispanic experience. The author is suspicious of using blackness as the sole determinant of authenticity. Keep these views separate as you approach the choices.

(A)  is half-right, half-wrong. The author would likely agree that validating only the representations of black authors is flawed, but not because outsiders are particularly qualified to produce the most convincing portraits of racial groups. Eliminate.

(B)  is an answer you could have anticipated because it is a statement with which Jackson would agree, not the author. Eliminate.

(C)   sounds a lot like the point made in  Paragraph 3.  The author goes after Jackson for using ethnicity as the  “primary basis for critical judgment.” (C)  is correct. For the record:

(D)  is unsupported. The author never indicates whether we should consider the contributions of black and non-black writers separately or together. Eliminate.

(E)  The author does criticize the approach that Jackson and other similar critics use to evaluate the authenticity of representations in African Hispanic literature, but the author never suggests an alternate method of evaluation. Eliminate.

Answer: C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

6. Which one of the following approaches to a study of Hungarian identity in painting is most analogous to the North American approach to African Hispanic literature?

Explanation

We’re asked to find an analysis of Hungarian identity in painting whose logic matches that of the North America approach. The Hot Words  “North American”  should sends you straight to  line 23 , where we’re reminded that the North American critics (with whom the author associates Jackson) think that the most important features of African Hispanic literature are its uniqueness and cultural autonomy. In other words, the North American critics believe that black writers are the only ones equipped to depict the black experience. And this is why  (B)  is correct: The study of Hungarian identity in  (B)  focuses only on ethnic Hungarian painters and the uniqueness of their style.

(A)  The North American critics focus only on black writers and their entitlement to depict the black experience authentically, so a study focusing on foreigners living in Hungary doesn’t quite match.
 
 (C)  Popularity with readers is outside the scope of the North American critics’ studies, so we can safely eliminate this choice.

(D)  The North American critics value the autonomy of African Hispanic literature  (line 25) , so  (D)  goes wrong by tying the Hungarian artists to worldwide artistic movements.

(E)  An emphasis on universality actually undermines the North American critics’ ideas about African Hispanic literature, which they see as culturally distinct.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

7. Which one of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?

Explanation

Just because the Main Idea question didn’t come first doesn’t mean it isn’t there. You should still complete a late Global question first because it will help confirm your reading of the passage, and because you’ll pick up a point quickly. Not many test takers got this question correct, but that’s not because it was particularly difficult; it’s the last question in the section, so many of them never even answered it. Don’t follow in their footsteps. Here, we know that the author’s primary criticism of Jackson’s work is that his approach, that of using ethnicity as the main basis for literary analysis, seriously undermines his own intentions. And the only answer that matches this Main Idea is  (A) .

(B)  is a Faulty Use of Detail. Jackson is aligned with the North American critics, not those who agree with the Latin American perspective.

(C)  is a Distortion; Jackson’s conclusions aren’t called into question, just the way in which he reaches them. Also, even though  para 3  suggests that Guillen is an unrepresentative author, this is just an example and not the main point of the passage.

(D)  The author never discusses Jackson’s underlying assumptions in his previous work; the focus is primarily on his newer work.

(E)  goes wrong on two counts: it blows up a detail (the chapter on Nicolas Guillen) and mischaracterizes Jackson’s goal (Jackson was trying to show that African Hispanic literature is autonomous, not to integrate it into worldwide movements).

Answer: A

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Richard L. Jacksons most recent book, Black Writers in Latin America,

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