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

Question

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,” as critics have conceived of this art since the
⠀⠀⠀ late nineteenth-century essays and novels of Henry
⠀⠀⠀ James. Indeed, 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.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀However, although Melville is not a Jamesian
(20)⠀⠀novelist, he is not therefore a deficient writer. A more
⠀⠀⠀ reasonable position is that Melville is a different
⠀⠀⠀ kind of writer, who held, and should be judged
⠀⠀⠀ by, presuppositions about fiction that are quite
⠀⠀⠀ different from James's. 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. He was content
⠀⠀⠀ to sacrifice continuity or even credibility as long
⠀⠀⠀ as he could establish a significant moral situation.
⠀⠀⠀ Thus Melville's romances do not give the reader
(35)⠀⠀a full understanding of the complete feelings and
⠀⠀⠀ thoughts that motivate actions and events that shape
⠀⠀⠀ fate. Rather, the romances leave unexplained the
⠀⠀⠀ sequence of events and either simplify or obscure 
⠀⠀⠀ motives. Again, such simplifications and obscurities
(40)⠀⠀exist in order to give prominence to the depiction of
⠀⠀⠀ sharply delineated moral values, values derived from
⠀⠀⠀ a character's purely personal sense of honor, rather
⠀⠀⠀ than, as in a Jamesian novel, from the conventions of
⠀⠀⠀ society.   1 
 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
B. contrast the romantic and novelistic traditions and assert the aesthetic superiority of the romantic tradition
C. survey some of the responses to Melville's fiction put forward by James and twentieth-century literary critics
D. argue that the charges made against Melville's fiction by literary critics are suspect and misleading
E. note several accusations made against Melville's fiction by literary critics and refute one of these accusations

RC59461.01-10

2 
 2. The author draws which of the following conclusions about the fact that Melville's fiction often does not possess the qualities of a Jamesian novel?

A. Literary critics should no longer use Jamesian standards to judge the value of novels.
B. Literary critics who have praised Melville's fiction at the expense of James's fiction should consider themselves justified.
C. Literary critics should no longer attempt to place writers, including Melville and James, in traditions or categories.
D. Melville and James should be viewed as different sorts of writers and one should not be regarded as inherently superior to the other.
E. Melville and James nevertheless share important similarities and these should not be overlooked or slighted when literary critics point out differences between the two writers.

RC59461.01-20

3 
 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

RC59461.01-30

4 
 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
B. argue that the portrayal of characters is one of Melville's more accomplished literary skills
C. give an example of a novel that was thought by James to resemble his own fiction
D. suggest that literary critics find few exceptions to what they believe is a characteristic of Melville's fiction
E. reinforce the contention of literary critics

RC59461.01-40

5 
 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.

RC59461.01-50

6 
 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.
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.

RC59461.01-60

7 
 7. Which of the following can most logically be inferred about the author's estimation of the romantic and novelistic traditions of fiction?

A. The romantic tradition should be considered at least as valuable as the novelistic tradition in the examination of human experience.
B. The romantic tradition should be considered the more vital tradition primarily because Melville is part of that tradition.
C. The romantic tradition should be considered the superior tradition because it is so widespread.
D. The romantic tradition has had as much success in pleasing literary critics as has the novelistic tradition.
E. The romantic and novelistic traditions have always made important contributions to literature, but their most important contributions have been in the twentieth century.

RC59461.01-70

8 
 8. The author of the passage would be most likely to agree that a writer's fiction should be evaluated by which of the following criteria?

A. How consistently that fiction establishes credibility with the reader
B. How skillfully that fiction supersedes the presuppositions or conventions of a tradition
C. How completely that fiction satisfies the standards of judgment held by most literary critics
D. How well that fiction fulfills the premises about fiction maintained by the writer of the fiction
E. How well that fiction exhibits a continuity of subject and style over the course of the writer's career

RC59461.01-80

GMATNinja · Accepted Answer

Question 2 
 
In general, it's better to get to four solid "no's" through POE rather than choosing an answer that looks better than the others. And for broad questions like question #2, your best bet is to have a solid understanding of the structure and purpose of the passage as a whole before diving into the details.

Here's a breakdown of the passage as a whole:

The author explain how critics find fault with Melville's work: they believe that his works do not live up to the standards of fiction that have been in place since another novelist, James, arrived on the scene 
 The author then argues  against  this critique, saying that Melville isn't a "Jamesian" novelist, and Melville's work is not actually worse than James' work -- instead, the author thinks that the two writers are just different, and so should be judged used different criteria. 
 The author then goes on to explain exactly what Melville really cared about in his writing, which was different from what James cared about.

From this, it is clear that the author believes that critics were incorrect in portraying Melville as a  worse  writer than James -- the two novelists just chose  different  things to focus on in their works.

With that in mind, take another look at (C):
 
The author's argument against critics of Melville is that they tried to measure him in the SAME tradition or category as James. He/she isn't necessarily against putting authors in categories  in general  -- he/she just thinks it's unfair to judge Melville as if he was in the same category as James. For this reason, (C) is out.

This aligns well with our analysis of the passage -- Melville cared about different things than James did, so they should be viewed as different kinds of writers rather than judged against one another.

Question 5 
 
Question #5 asks about lines 24-30 in the passage:
 
To answer the question, we need to determine why the author includes these sentences in the passage. Taking it piece by piece:

"It is true that Melville wrote “romances”: In the first paragraph, the critics argue that Melville was a deficient writer because because he didn't even write novels -- he only wrote romances. Here, the author  agrees  with part of that statement: he concedes that Melville  did  write romances. 
 "however, these are not the escapist fictions this word often implies, but fictions that range freely among very unusual or intense human experiences." In other words, the author says that romances aren't so bad -- they're not just escapist fiction. 
 "Melville portrayed such experiences because he believed these best enabled him to explore moral questions, an exploration he assumed was the ultimate purpose of fiction": Now we're getting deeper into why Melville wrote romances -- they were the best stories to get after the themes that he found to be most important in writing fiction.

Overall, the author agrees with one piece of the critics' argument, but then explains why this fact does not support their conclusion that Melville was a "deficient writer." Sure he wrote romances, but he did so for a specific reason -- so that he could explore the things that he thought were important in fiction.

So, which answer choice best describes the author's method of argumentation?
 
I suppose that the "standard of evaluation" in (A) could be the charge that Melville wrote romances, not novels. In that case, the author doesn't describe the standard of evaluation -- he/she  agrees  with it.

It wouldn't make sense at this point for the author to  attack  that standard of evaluation. Instead, the author  lessens the impact  of the critics' point by giving further context about Melville's intentions.

Compare that to (E):
 
The critics assert that Melville wrote romances, and the author concedes this point. But then the author argues that romances aren't inherently bad fiction -- in fact, they are the best stories to allow Melville to explore the themes most important to him. This explanation weakens the force of the critic's argument: even if Melville wrote romances, that does not make him a deficient writer.

(E) fits much better with the author's method of argumentation than (A), so (E) is the correct answer.

I hope that helps!

gmatt1476 · Answer

Official Explanation

RC59461.01-80

8. The author of the passage would be most likely to agree that a writer's fiction should be evaluated by which of the following criteria?

A. How consistently that fiction establishes credibility with the reader
B. How skillfully that fiction supersedes the presuppositions or conventions of a tradition
C. How completely that fiction satisfies the standards of judgment held by most literary critics
D. How well that fiction fulfills the premises about fiction maintained by the writer of the fiction
E. How well that fiction exhibits a continuity of subject and style over the course of the writer's career

Application

Which criteria would the author of the passage most likely agree to be useful for evaluating a writer's fiction? The passage argues that even though Melville's novels fail to satisfy Henry James's criteria for literary value in a novel, they still have a different kind of literary value. In particular, they match the criteria set out by Melville's own conception of fiction.

The author states that Melville sought in his fiction to explore moral questions, an exploration he assumed was the ultimate purpose of fiction. Therefore, 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.

A. The author of the passage would be unlikely to agree that fiction must establish credibility with the reader. In the passage, the author suggests that Melville was prepared to sacrifice some credibility in his fiction if doing so would help him to establish a significant moral situation.

B. Nothing in the passage suggests that its author would agree with the idea that fiction must “supersede presuppositions or conventions of a tradition.” While the author indicates that Melville's novels do not satisfy James's criteria for a good literary novel, this does not indicate that Melville's work supersedes or replaces any tradition.

C. The author of the passage clearly rejects this criterion and actually argues against the standards of many critics. Note the author's position that criticisms based on widespread acceptance by literary critics of James's standards for literary novels are not necessarily valid for all fiction.

D. Correct.  The author of the passage argues that Melville's fiction must be judged by reference to Melville's own criteria rather than by those of James or the critics who accepted James's criteria.

E. Nowhere does the passage mention continuity of style over a career. Therefore, nothing in the passage suggests that the author would accept it.

The correct answer is D.

gmatt1476 · Answer

Official Explanation

RC59461.01-10

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
B. contrast the romantic and novelistic traditions and assert the aesthetic superiority of the romantic tradition
C. survey some of the responses to Melville's fiction put forward by James and twentieth-century literary critics
D. argue that the charges made against Melville's fiction by literary critics are suspect and misleading
E. note several accusations made against Melville's fiction by literary critics and refute one of these accusations

RC59461.01-10

Main idea

Our goal is to find the primary purpose of the passage, which requires a firm understanding of the structure of the passage and its objectives. The passage notes various criticisms of Melville's fiction, but its main argument is to support the idea that Melville's fiction is valid even though it does not follow Henry James's conception of the novel.

Furthermore, the passage defends Melville's fiction by arguing that Melville had an equally valid conception of the purpose of fiction: one that differed fundamentally from that of James. The passage indicates that Melville's strength does not derive from depictions of character motivation. Rather, it lies in Melville establishing a strong moral situation; occasionally this might be done at the expense of continuity or credibility.

A. The passage specifically refers to Melville's novels and does not suggest that well-written novels or romances all share any particular characteristic.

B. The passage is specifically concerned with Melville's novels, not the general romantic or novelistic traditions. Furthermore, the passage suggests that the romantic tradition in fiction has its own literary validity, as has the novelistic tradition, but does not indicate that one is superior to the other.

C. This passage does not simply give a survey of literary responses to Melville's fiction; the passage goes further in arguing for the literary worth of Melville's work.

D. Because the passage argues against certain criticisms of Melville's work, it might be argued that the author of the passage considers some criticisms of Melville “suspect.” However, there is nothing in the passage to imply this applies to all criticisms of Melville's work. Furthermore, there is absolutely nothing in the passage to indicate that these critics' work is “misleading.”

E. Correct. The primary purpose of the passage is to counter one of several negative evaluations of Melville's novels made by literary critics.

The correct answer is E.

gmatt1476 · Answer

Official Explanation

RC59461.01-20

2. The author draws which of the following conclusions about the fact that Melville's fiction often does not possess the qualities of a Jamesian novel?

A. Literary critics should no longer use Jamesian standards to judge the value of novels.
B. Literary critics who have praised Melville's fiction at the expense of James's fiction should consider themselves justified.
C. Literary critics should no longer attempt to place writers, including Melville and James, in traditions or categories.
D. Melville and James should be viewed as different sorts of writers and one should not be regarded as inherently superior to the other.
E. Melville and James nevertheless share important similarities and these should not be overlooked or slighted when literary critics point out differences between the two writers.

Supporting idea

Which among the answer choices is a conclusion drawn by the author of the passage regarding the contrast between Melville's fiction and that of James? The second sentence of the final paragraph states this: Melville is a different kind of writer, who held, and should be judged by, presuppositions about fiction that are quite different from James's. In other words, Melville held different standards regarding fiction and one needs to evaluate Melville on these standards rather than on James's standards.

A. The passage suggests that Jamesian standards may be inappropriate for Melville's novels. However, it does not suggest that Jamesian standards are necessarily invalid for judging the value of other novels.

B. The passage mentions nothing about critics who have praised Melville's novels at the expense of James's novels. In fact, the passage never mentions James's novels.

C. The passage does not suggest that critics should avoid categorization of writers. In fact, the passage in lines 19–20 states that Melville is not a Jamesian novelist, which is in itself such a categorization.

D. Correct.  This accurately expresses a conclusion drawn by the author, namely that Melville and James have valid, if different, approaches to fiction writing.

E. The author indicates no important similarities between Melville and James's writing. In fact, the author emphasizes certain key differences between the two authors' work.

The correct answer is D.

gmatt1476 · Answer

Official Explanation

RC59461.01-30

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

Main idea

Given the content of the passage, which of these choices could most reasonably be used as a title? The passage's main purpose is to counter the criticisms of those critics who describe Melville's works of fiction as romances. These critics claim that Melville's works lack significant literary value because they fail to satisfy James's criteria for literary worth in novels, a standard that is widely accepted by literary critics. The passage argues that Melville's novels would be more appropriately evaluated using the criteria that Melville himself espoused; these criteria differ significantly from James's criteria.

A. This choice is inappropriate because nothing in the passage suggests that Melville's approach was unique; that is, nothing in the passage indicates that Melville's contribution is the only one of its kind.

B. This choice is inappropriate because the passage never states how Melville's literary reputation among twentieth-century critics evolved.

C. Correct. This choice reflects the central idea of the passage that the literary worth of Melville's fiction is not appropriately judged using the Jamesian standard; rather, it is appropriately judged using Melville's own notion of the ultimate purpose of fiction.

D. Although the passage suggests that issues of morality figured in the fiction of both James and Melville, the passage does not address any assumptions shared between James and Melville.

E. Although the passage suggests that James had a significant influence on critical standards for the novel, the passage centers on Melville's works rather than James' influence.

The correct answer is C.

gmatt1476 · Answer

Official Explanation

RC59461.01-40

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
B. argue that the portrayal of characters is one of Melville's more accomplished literary skills
C. give an example of a novel that was thought by James to resemble his own fiction
D. suggest that literary critics find few exceptions to what they believe is a characteristic of Melville's fiction
E. reinforce the contention of literary critics

Evaluation

Why does the author of the passage mention Pierre? The final sentence of the first paragraph reads: Critics argue that only Pierre (1852), because of its subject and characters, is close to being a novel in the Jamesian sense.

This statement indicates that literary critics regard Pierre as the only possible exception to their negative characterization of Melville's fiction as romance because Pierre has at least some of the properties that James considered essential to novels of literary value.

A. This is not a purpose of mentioning Pierre. The passage does not cite any critics who claim that most of Melville's novels satisfy Jamesian criteria.

B. This is not a purpose of mentioning Pierre. The author of the passage does not endorse the view that character portrayal is a particular strength of Melville's novels. In fact, the author suggests that Melville's novels tend to give questionable portrayals of what characters feel or think.

C. The passage lacks any information indicating James's personal view of Pierre. Given the information in the passage, it is entirely possible that James never even read Pierre.

D. Correct.  The critics of Melville's novels generally characterize them as “romances” rather than “novels” given that they lack certain properties Henry James regarded as essential to novels. The mention of Pierre shows that the critics see it as the only one of Melville's novels that might fit the Jamesian criteria.

E. In the sentence in which Pierre is mentioned, the author of the passage does not endorse criticism suggesting that Melville's works are romances rather than novels. Furthermore, the sentence is not intended to endorse a contention of any other type of literary critic.

The correct answer is D.

gmatt1476 · Answer

Official Explanation

RC59461.01-50

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.

Evaluation

Which answer choice best describes the reasoning in lines 24–32? The author suggests that Melville's novels can reasonably be called “romances,” but also is careful to explain a sense of this designation that still regards Melville's novels as valid works of literature.

A. The text in lines 24–31 does not describe any standard of evaluation used by Melville's critics.

B. There is no countercharge against, or even mention of, Melville's critics in lines 24–31.

C. Again, there is no mention of criticisms of Melville's work in the lines 24–31; it follows that the author does not point out a “logical flaw” in such criticisms within lines 24–31.

D. In lines 24–31, the author accepts that Melville's novels can be called “romances.” In lines 24–31, of course, the author presents no evidence to show that Melville's novels are not romances.

E. Correct.  In lines 24–31, the author concedes that Melville's novels are romances. However, the author argues that this does not detract from the literary value of Melville's work.

The correct answer is E.

gmatt1476 · Answer

Official Explanation

RC59461.01-60

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.
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.

Inference

Which of the following conclusions regarding the term “romance” as applied to Melville's work is most strongly supported by the information in the passage? The author of the passage uses the term without the negative connotation that the passage suggests the term carried for many twentieth-century critics of Melville.

A. There is no information in the passage regarding how, or even whether, Melville used the term “romance.”

B. Correct.  The author of the passage will call Melville's novels romances provided this term is used without the disparaging connotations of this term (particularly as used by many critics of Melville's work).

C. Nothing in the passage specifies James's use of the term “romance.”

D. The author of the passage specifically applies the term “romance” in a way that avoids the disparaging connotations of escapism present in the use of the term by some critics of Melville's work.

E. The passage provides no information by which we can gauge how controversial the author's use of “romance” as applied to Melville's works is, relative to other commentators' use of the term “novel.”

The correct answer is B.

gmatt1476 · Answer

Official Explanation

RC59461.01-70

7. Which of the following can most logically be inferred about the author's estimation of the romantic and novelistic traditions of fiction?

A. The romantic tradition should be considered at least as valuable as the novelistic tradition in the examination of human experience.
B. The romantic tradition should be considered the more vital tradition primarily because Melville is part of that tradition.
C. The romantic tradition should be considered the superior tradition because it is so widespread.
D. The romantic tradition has had as much success in pleasing literary critics as has the novelistic tradition.
E. The romantic and novelistic traditions have always made important contributions to literature, but their most important contributions have been in the twentieth century.

Inference

We must determine which statement regarding the author's evaluation of the romantic and novelistic traditions of fiction is most strongly supported by the information in the passage. The passage states: although Melville is not a Jamesian novelist, he is not therefore a deficient writer. The author of the passage tells us that Melville sought to explore moral questions, an exploration that Melville assumed to be the ultimate purpose of fiction. These statements indicate that the author of the passage regards the romantic tradition's fictional examination of human experience as at least equal in value to the novelistic tradition's examination of it.

A. Correct.  The passage suggests that both traditions are concerned with the examination of human experience, yet their approaches to this examination differ. The passage argues that Melville's body of fiction is no less valuable as literature than James's.

B. The passage provides nothing to indicate that Melville's position as a romantic writer therefore implies that romance is “more vital” than the novelistic tradition. Note that such a comparison would need to be clearly made for this to be a valid answer choice.

C. The passage provides no information regarding how widespread the romantic tradition is.

D. The passage provides no information to suggest that literary critics are more pleased by romantic works than they are by novelistic works. Note that such a comparison would need to be clearly made for this to be a valid answer choice.

E. The passage provides no information to suggest that the most important contributions of the romantic and novelistic traditions have been during the twentieth century. In fact, given that Melville and James both worked in the nineteenth century, it seems doubtful that the passage would make such a claim.

The correct answer is A.

zoezhuyan · Answer

hi  u1983 ,  GMATNinjaTwo ,  workout ,  GMATNinja ,  SajjadAhmad ,  Gnpth  and other experts,
would you please elaborate further of Q2 
2. The author draws which of the following conclusions about the fact that Melville's fiction often does not possess the qualities of a Jamesian novel?

A. Literary critics should no longer use Jamesian standards to judge the value of novels.
B. Literary critics who have praised Melville's fiction at the expense of James's fiction should consider themselves justified.
 C. Literary critics should no longer attempt to place writers, including Melville and James, in traditions or categories.
D. Melville and James should be viewed as different sorts of writers and one should not be regarded as inherently superior to the other. 
E. Melville and James nevertheless share important similarities and these should not be overlooked or slighted when literary critics point out differences between the two writers.

I struggled with C and D, 
I cannot grasp the point of  one should not be regarded as inherently superior to the other , that's why I think C is better than D,

please help.

PhantomAY · Answer

after review OG explanations I know why A, B, C, D are wrong but still skeptical about E - the passage did not just refute "one of the accusations" but several of them:

1) lack of inventive plots and occasionally inscrutable style
2) M is a deficit deficient because he is not a practitioner of the art of friction
3) M is not a novelist but a write of romance, due to lack of continuity in 
 a) between feeling and action 
 b) between past/origin and fates

author refuted at least 2) and 3) in 2nd paragraph, can experts help elaborate more?

GMATNinja · Answer

Remember that the question asks us what the  primary  purpose of the passage is. This is NOT the same as asking us, "What did the author write about?" and we're not here to pick the answer choice that reflects the total contents of the passage in a quantitative sense.

Choice (E), taken in full, says, "The primary purpose of the passage is to note several accusations made against Melville's fiction by literary critics and refute one of those accusations."

The passage itself tells us:

Here, the author is emphasizing the accusation that this passage is most interested in refuting. The charge that Melville is a deficient writer (which you list as accusation #2) is, in fact, an umbrella for multiple criticisms (including what you've listed as accusation #3). And the language I've highlighted above tells us that this charge is more important to the author than lack of inventive plots or inscrutable style (which you've listed as accusation #1).

The purpose of paragraph 1 is to define this particularly problematic accusation against Melville's writing, in the context of criticism of Melville's work. And the purpose of paragraph 2 is to refute that accusation.

That's why choice (E) is a spot-on answer for question 1.

I hope this helps!

OjhaShishir · Answer

For question #8, D is the OA. Can someone point out where "reference to Melville's own criteria" is provided in the passage?

GMATNinja · Answer

Question 8 asks us to find the answer choice with which the author  would most likely agree  -- so, we aren't necessarily looking for something that is explicitly stated in the passage. It is enough to find a statement that is in line the author's argument.

Here is the exact wording of (D):
 
The best support for this statement is found in the second paragraph:

"A more reasonable position is that Melville is a different kind of writer, who held, and should be judged by, presuppositions about fiction that are quite different from James's."

Here, the author refutes the argument of critics who believe that Melville sucks because he isn't a "Jamesian novelist." Instead, the author thinks that Melville should be judged by different criteria. Specifically, Melville should be judged by his  own  "presuppositions about fiction," not by James' presuppositions about fiction.

From this, we can confidently say that the author would agree that a writer's fiction should be evaluated by "how well that fiction fulfills the premises about fiction maintained by the writer of the fiction." (D) is the correct answer to question #8.

I hope that helps!

gmatassassin88 · Answer

GMATNinja   IanStewart   AnthonyRitz

i have doubt in Q.5 option C

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.

Critic asserted that Melville is a 'Deficient Writer' ( CHARGE BY THE CRITICS)in the first para. However, in the second Para Author disagreed & further explains why Melville is not 'deficient writer' by stating reasons that he Presupposes.( FLAW IN THE CHARGE)

With such understanding i market option C.Please help on this one

IanStewart · Answer

The question asks specifically about how the author argues in lines 24-31. Answer C says that in those lines, "the author describes a charge advanced by critics of Melville." The assertion that Melville is "deficient" is not made in lines 24-31, so answer C is not describing the charge that Melville is "deficient". The only thing C could be talking about is the suggestion that Melville wrote "romances." From the passage, it's hard to characterize that as a "charge" made by critics, and the lines from 24-31 do not point out a "logical flaw" with that "charge" anyway, which is why C is wrong. The lines from 24-31 merely describe what we might call a "definitional flaw" -- the word "romance", when applied to Melville's writing, does not mean what many people think it means. So from lines 24-31, the author grants ("concedes") that Melville wrote "romances", but then explains why that fact doesn't mean what many people might think, because the word "romance" means something different in this context than what it often means.

AnthonyRitz · Answer

The only "charge" (if it can even be called that; in and of itself it's barely a "charge" at all) mentioned in the lines in question is that Melville was a "romantic" -- a "charge" that the author technically grants. There is no significant "description" of this charge, but maybe we could live with that. The charge that Melville is a "deficient writer" is not mentioned or addressed in the quoted lines.

The bigger problem is that the author does not point out a "logical flaw" in these or any other charge. Quibbles with how a certain appellation should be interpreted absolutely do not count as "logical flaws"; we would need to see something far stronger, in which the author perhaps shows that the critics' argument is somehow self-contradictory or otherwise defective in its internal logic. Simply reframing the interpretation of a term is not enough.

I think that answer C would be a stretch in every aspect. E would not. The latter is correct.

shanks2020 · Answer

Hi  GMATNinja

As you mentioned above, the passage just mentioned "presuppositions different from James"...This presuppositions could be of of anyone or just a general view, that is different from James'. But the option states "OWN" pressupossitions. How is this inferred ?

saby1410 · Answer

GMATNinja

does standard of evaluation not refers to the way james write novel i.e jamiesen?

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

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

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