The Frankenstein monster is the most recognizable character in the

Question

The Frankenstein monster is the most
recognizable character in the horror
genre, if not in all of fiction. Beneath the
endless Hollywood adaptations and
 5)  campy TV shows lies one of the great
philosophical and prophetic works of the
nineteenth century. While present
generations associate the name
Frankenstein with the image of Boris
 10)  Karloff's movie portrayal of the monster,
Mary Shelley's story of the mad doctor
Victor Frankenstein is best known to
serious readers as a cautionary tale of the
danger of man's scientific hubris.

15)  From a horrifying dream during the
summer of 1816, Shelley conceived the
story in which Victor Frankenstein
creates a man from body parts gathered
from the dead. The clear clash of science
 20)  and nature ensues. The book, originally
published anonymously, is structured to
refute science and technology's attack on
nature, and the most eloquent arguments
come from the mouth of the monster
 25)  himself. For seven brilliant and
captivating chapters he tells his story and
pleads his case for a companion. His
point is clear: man should not create that
for which he is not ready to take
 30)  responsibility. The mad doctor
ultimately refuses to create a mate for
the monster, and Shelley portrays the
horrifying consequences of man's
abdication of responsibility and of
 35)  arrogantly overstepping the bounds of
nature.

If Frankenstein were merely the story of
a monster run amok, we likely wouldn't
know of it today. Its enduring appeal can
 40)  best be attributed to the relevance of the
themes infused throughout the narrative:
alienation of the outcast; the role of
visual appearance in society; science
versus nature; and technology as man's
 45)  salvation. These themes have only
grown in importance since the novel's
publication in 1818. The seriousness and
complexity of these issues, so magically
and prophetically synthesized in
 50)  Shelley's tale of terror, account for the
inability to capture in cinematic form the
deep philosophical richness of the book.
It can only be hoped that the visual
adaptations will not entirely eclipse in
 55)  the public's mind the genius of the
original masterpiece.   1 
 1. The passage suggests that the author would most likely agree with which of the following statements?

A. No artistic work can be successfully adapted from one medium into another.
B. The resonance of thematic elements can contribute to the current relevance of an artistic work.
C. An artistic work that does not gain critical acclaim during its period of origin cannot appeal to successive generations.
D. An artistic work that is likely to shock the sensibilities of its original audience should be presented anonymously.
E. The complexity and seriousness of an artistic work is directly related to its prophetic capabilities.

2 
 2. According to the author, "The clear clash of science and nature" is one of the major elements of Frankenstein that

A. is mainly responsible for the current popularity of the cinematic adaptations of that work
B. is absent from the cinematic adaptations of that work
C. forced its author to publish that work anonymously
D. is less relevant today than it was at the time that work was first published
E. has contributed to the enduring appeal of that work

3 
 3. The passage is primarily concerned with

A. praising a work of art and voicing concern over its possible obsolescence 
B. describing the process by which works of art are degraded when adapted to different forms
C. outlining the origin of a masterpiece of world literature
D. arguing that the human race will face serious consequences for arrogantly overstepping the bounds of nature
E. paying tribute to an art form that has been overshadowed by a more recent art form

4  
 4. The passage implies that each of the following are relevant aspects of the current era EXCEPT:

A. the belief in the power of technology to aid the human condition
B. the appreciation of artistic seriousness and complexity
C. the opposition between science and nature 
D. the physical appearance of societal members
E. the isolation of individuals from society

Skywalker18 · Answer

Interesting read. Took 7 mins in total, including 3 mins 20 seconds to read. All correct

Para 1- Frankenstein monster- a cautionary tale of the danger of man's scientific hubris
Para 2- origins
Para 3- themes attributable to its enduring appeal; the movie does not do justice to the book

1. The passage suggests that the author would most likely agree with which of the following statements?
A. No artistic work can be successfully adapted from one medium into another.- incorrect, the word 'No' makes it too extreme
B. The resonance of thematic elements can contribute to the current relevance of an artistic work.- Correct; Its enduring appeal can best be attributed to the relevance of the themes infused throughout the narrative
C. An artistic work that does not gain critical acclaim during its period of origin cannot appeal to successive generations.- out of scope
D. An artistic work that is likely to shock the sensibilities of its original audience should be presented anonymously.- incorrect, we are only told that Shelly published the book anonymously but are not given any such suggestion
E. An artistic work that gains wide praise from successive generations.-- incorrect-- this option is not even complete

Answer B

2. According to the author, "The clear clash of science and nature" is one of the major elements of Frankenstein that
E. has contributed to the enduring appeal of that work

Its enduring appeal can best be attributed to the relevance of the themes infused throughout the narrative: alienation of the outcast; the role of visual appearance in society; science versus nature; and technology as man's salvation.

3. The passage is primarily concerned with
A. praising a work of art and voicing concern over its possible obsolescence - Correct; the author praises the art form and at the end does raise concerns over its possible obsolescence
It can only be hoped that the visual adaptations will not entirely eclipse in the public's mind the genius of the original masterpiece.
B. describing the process by which works of art are degraded when adapted to different forms- incorrect, this is too general
C. outlining the origin of a masterpiece of world literature- incorrect, too narrow
D. arguing that the human race will face serious consequences for arrogantly overstepping the bounds of nature- incorrect, it goes too far
E. paying tribute to an art form that has been overshadowed by a more recent art form- incorrect

Answer A

4. The passage implies that each of the following are relevant aspects of the current era EXCEPT:

A. the belief in the power of technology to aid the human condition- incorrect, technology as man's salvation
B. the appreciation of artistic seriousness and complexity- Correct
C. the opposition between science and nature - incorrect
D. the physical appearance of societal members - incorrect, the role of visual appearance in society
E. the isolation of individuals from society- incorrect, alienation of the outcast

Its enduring appeal can best be attributed to the relevance of the themes infused throughout the narrative:alienation of the outcast; the role of visual appearance in society; science versus nature; and technology as man's salvation. These themes have only grown in importance since the novel's publication in 1818.

Hi  gmat1393 , In question 1, option E seems incomplete.

gmat1393 · Answer

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION for Q1

This is a broad Inference question that asks us to choose the statement with which the author would most likely agree. Such an open-ended question is too difficult to pre-phrase, so the best approach is to evaluate the choices. Choice (B) fits well with paragraph 3: The author tells us that the enduring appeal of Shelley's book is attributable to the relevance of themes that she raises. The author would thus likely agree that a work's relevance in general is increased by how well its elements resonate with its current audience.

(A): Extreme. This choice is an exaggeration of the author's claim that visual adaptations have thus far not adequately captured the richness of Shelley's book. He believes this about film adaptations of Frankenstein, but doesn't apply his claim to every artistic work.

(C): Distortion/Outside The Scope. The author never addresses works that receive no critical acclaim when they are written. We're not sure, in fact, how Shelley's work was originally received; all we know is that for some reason she didn't originally attach her name to it.

(D): Extreme. We're not told why Shelley published her work anonymously. Even if it was because it was too shocking for its time, nothing suggests the author would subscribe to the notion that every shocking work should be published anonymously.

(E): Distortion. The author never draws a relationship between the seriousness of a work and its ability to predict the future. Just because Shelley's work was both serious and prophetic doesn't allow us to infer that the author would agree with the blanket statement in (E)

gmat1393 · Answer

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION for Q2

This Detail question is signaled by the words "according to the author," which lets us know that the answer will come straight from the text. The science-nature clash is mentioned in both paragraphs 2 and 3. In the latter, the author tells us that the science vs. nature conflict increases the book's current relevance, an almost exact paraphrase of choice (E).

(A): Distortion. The science-nature clash is one of the factors responsible for the current appeal of the book itself, not its film versions.

(B): Extreme/Distortion. This choice exaggerates the author's argument. The author merely suggests that movies are unable to portray the "science vs. nature" theme in all its "seriousness and complexity." He never argues that the movie versions don't portray this central theme at all.

(C): Faulty Use Of Detail. Here the issue of Shelley's anonymous publishing is again raised, but again, in an inappropriate context. We don't know why she published the book anonymously; the science-nature clash may very well have nothing to do with this.

(D): 180. Paragraph 3 tells us that the science-nature clash is one of the themes of the work that has "grown in importance" since Shelley's day.

gmat1393 · Answer

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION for Q3

We discussed above how the author's purpose is to lay out the complexities of Shelley's work and to argue that it should be appreciated on its own terms; that the film versions should not overshadow the original story. The closest we get to this prephrase is found in choice (A), which is a bit more general, but hits closest to the mark.

(B) and (E): Outside The Scope/Distortion. Both of these choices are too broad to adequately characterize the author's purpose. The problem with (B) is that the author does not discuss "works of art" in general, but rather one work in particular. Similarly, with (E), the author does not pay tribute to the "art form" of literature in general—instead, he is praising one specific work of literature. Moreover, according to the author this work has not yet been overshadowed, but rather is in danger of being overshadowed by its visual adaptations.

(C): Faulty Use Of Detail: In contrast to (B) and (E), (C) is way too narrow to characterize the author's primary purpose. The author mentions in paragraph 2 how Shelley's novel originated from a dream, but this is far down the list of important passage elements. In fact, it's probably the one thing that can be omitted entirely without altering the passage significantly.

(D): Distortion. Be careful here: This is the argument that Shelley makes in her novel, not the purpose of the passage author.

gmat1393 · Answer

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION for Q4

This question is phrased as an Inference question because it starts with "the passage implies..." In reality, however, this is a Detail question in disguise. If we read the portion of paragraph 3 that discusses the currently relevant themes of the work, we see that all of the choices are listed except for choice (B). If this Frankenstein example is any indication, we'd have to say that the author's complaint suggests the opposite of (B), namely that appreciation for artistic seriousness and complexity is waning. The author suggests that in the visual era, sensationalistic imagery from movies can't capture the true complexity of a work such as Frankenstein.

(A) is covered by the phrase "technology as man's salvation."

(C): The science-nature theme comes up many times, even in the stem of a previous question. Most relevant to this question is its appearance in the final paragraph as "science versus nature."

(D) is raised with "the role of visual appearance in society."

(E) is captured in the phrase "alienation of the outcast."

TheAdmissionHub · Answer

Paragraph 1 
 What the author does:  Introduces  Frankenstein  and explains its cultural importance while contrasting popular movie versions with the original novel.
  Summary:  The author presents Frankenstein as an iconic horror figure but emphasizes that Mary Shelley’s original novel is a serious philosophical work about the dangers of scientific arrogance.
 
 Paragraph 2 
 What the author does:  Explains the origin of the novel and summarizes its plot and main moral message.
  Summary:  The author describes how Shelley was inspired to write the story and outlines the central conflict between science and nature, showing that the novel warns against irresponsible scientific creation and violating natural limits.
 
 Paragraph 3 
 What the author does:  Analyzes why the novel remains important and explains its enduring themes.
  Summary:  The author argues that  Frankenstein  is still relevant because it explores major themes like alienation, science versus nature, and technology’s role, and these ideas make the novel timeless despite film adaptations not fully capturing its depth.

Question 1: The passage suggests that the author would most likely agree with which of the following statements? 
A. No artistic work can be successfully adapted from one medium into another.
  Wrong:  The passage only says film adaptations fail to capture the novel’s depth, not that adaptation is generally speaking impossible.
B. The resonance of thematic elements can contribute to the current relevance of an artistic work.
  Correct:  The passage says Frankenstein remains important because its themes have “only grown in importance,” showing that lasting themes explain its continued relevance.
C. An artistic work that does not gain critical acclaim during its period of origin cannot appeal to successive generations.
  Wrong:  The passage does not discuss initial reception or make this claim.
D. An artistic work that is likely to shock the sensibilities of its original audience should be presented anonymously.
  Wrong:  The anonymity of publication is mentioned as a fact, not a recommendation.
E. The complexity and seriousness of an artistic work is directly related to its prophetic capabilities.
  Wrong:  The passage links complexity and prophecy but does not claim a direct causal relationship.
 
 Question 2: According to the author, "The clear clash of science and nature" is one of the major elements of Frankenstein that 
A. is mainly responsible for the current popularity of the cinematic adaptations of that work
  Wrong:  The passage does not connect this theme to film popularity.
B. is absent from the cinematic adaptations of that work
  Wrong:  The passage says adaptations fail to capture full depth, not that the theme is completely absent.
C. forced its author to publish that work anonymously
  Wrong:  The passage does not link anonymity to this theme.
D. is less relevant today than it was at the time that work was first published
  Wrong:  The passage says the opposite—that the themes have grown in importance.
E. has contributed to the enduring appeal of that work
  Correct:  The passage states that the novel’s lasting importance comes from its major themes, including science versus nature.
 
 Question 3: The passage is primarily concerned with 
A. praising a work of art and voicing concern over its possible obsolescence
  Correct:  The passage praises Frankenstein and argues its themes remain relevant, while briefly noting concern that adaptations may overshadow it.
B. describing the process by which works of art are degraded when adapted to different forms
  Wrong:  Adaptation is only briefly mentioned, not analyzed as a process.
C. outlining the origin of a masterpiece of world literature
  Wrong:  Origin is mentioned, but not the main focus.
D. arguing that the human race will face serious consequences for arrogantly overstepping the bounds of nature
  Wrong:  This is a theme of the novel, not the author’s argument.
E. paying tribute to an art form that has been overshadowed by a more recent art form
  Wrong:  The passage does not compare literature as an art form to cinema in that way.
 
 Question 4: The passage implies that each of the following are relevant aspects of the current era EXCEPT: 
A. the belief in the power of technology to aid the human condition
  Wrong:  The passage explicitly mentions “technology as man’s salvation.”
B. the appreciation of artistic seriousness and complexity
  Correct:  The passage does not suggest this is a defining feature of the current era.
C. the opposition between science and nature
  Wrong : The passage says this theme has grown in importance.
D. the physical appearance of societal members
  Wrong:  The passage explicitly mentions this theme.
E. the isolation of individuals from society
  Wrong:  The passage mentions alienation of the outcast.

The Frankenstein monster is the most recognizable character in the

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The Frankenstein monster is the most recognizable character in the

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