Published in 1952, Invisible Man featured a protagonist whose activiti

Question

Published in 1952,  Invisible Man  featured a
protagonist whose activities enabled the novel’s author,
Ralph Ellison, to explore and to blend themes
specifically tied to the history and plight of African
  (5)   Americans with themes, also explored by many
European writers with whose works Ellison was
familiar, about the fractured, evanescent quality of
individual identity and character. For this thematic
blend, Ellison received two related criticisms: that his
  (10)   allegiance to the concerns of the individual prevented
him from directing his art more toward the political
action that critics believed was demanded by his era’s
social and political state of affairs; and that his
indulging in European fictional modes lessened his
  (15)   contribution to the development of a distinctly African
American novelistic style.

Ellison found these criticisms to voice a common
demand, namely that writers should censor themselves
and sacrifice their individuality for supposedly more
  (20)   important political and cultural purposes. He replied
that it demeans a people and its artists to suggest that a
particular historical situation requires cultural
segregation in the arts. Such a view characterizes all
artists as incapable of seeing the world—with all its
  (25)   subtleties and complications—in unique yet expressive
ways, and it makes the narrow assumption that
audiences are capable of viewing the world only from
their own perspectives.

Models for understanding Invisible Man that may
  (30)   be of more help than those employed by its critics can
be found in Ellison’s own love for and celebration of
jazz. Jazz has never closed itself off from other musical
forms, and some jazz musicians have been able to take
the European-influenced songs of U.S. theater and
  (35)   transform them into musical pieces that are unique
and personal but also expressive of African American
culture. In like manner, Ellison avoided the mere
recapitulation of existing literary forms as well as the
constraints of artistic isolation by using his work to
  (40)   explore and express the issues of identity and
character that had so interested European writers.

Further, jazz, featuring solos that, however daring,
remain rooted in the band’s rhythm section, provides a
rich model for understanding the relationship of artist
  (45)   to community and parallels the ways the protagonist’s
voice in Invisible Man is set within a wider communal
context. Ellison’s explorations in the novel, often in the
manner of loving caricature, of the ideas left him by
both European and African American predecessors are
  (50)   a form of homage to them and thus ameliorate the
sense of alienation he expresses through the
protagonist. And even though Invisible Man’s
protagonist lives alone in a basement, Ellison proves
that an individual whose unique voice is the result of
  (55)   the transmutation of a cultural inheritance can never
be completely cut off from the community.    1 
 1. It can be inferred from the passage that the author most clearly holds which one of the following views?

(A) The possibility of successfully blending different cultural forms is demonstrated by jazz’s ability to incorporate European influences.
(B) The technique of blending the artistic concerns of two cultures could be an effective tool for social and political action.
(C) Due to the success of Invisible Man, Ellison was able to generate a renewed interest in and greater appreciation for jazz.
(D) The protagonist in Invisible Man illustrates the difficulty of combining the concerns of African Americans and concerns thought to be European in origin.
(E) Ellison’s literary technique, though effective, is unfortunately too esoteric and complex to generate a large audience.

2 
 2. Based on the passage, Ellison’s critics would most likely have responded favorably to Invisible Man if it had

(A) created a positive effect on the social conditions of the time
(B) provided a historical record of the plight of African Americans
(C) contained a tribute to the political contributions of African American predecessors
(D) prompted a necessary and further separation of American literature from European literary style
(E) generated a large audience made up of individuals from many cultural backgrounds

3 
 3. The expression “cultural segregation in the arts” (lines 22-23) most clearly refers to

(A) a general tendency within the arts whereby certain images and themes recur within the works of certain cultures
(B) an obvious separation within the art community resulting from artists’ differing aesthetic principles
(C) the cultural isolation artists feel when they address issues of individual identity
(D) the cultural obstacles that affect an audience’s appreciation of art
(E) an expectation placed on an artist to uphold a specific cultural agenda in the creation of art

4 
 4. The primary purpose of the third paragraph is to

(A) summarize the thematic concerns of an artist in relation to other artists within the discipline
(B) affirm the importance of two artistic disciplines in relation to cultural concerns
(C) identify the source of the thematic content of one artist’s work
(D) celebrate one artistic discipline by viewing it from the perspective of an artist from another discipline
(E) introduce a context within which the work of one artist may be more fully illuminated.

5 
 5. Which one of the following statements about jazz is made in the passage?

(A) It is not accessible to a wide audience.
(B) It is the most complex of modern musical forms.
(C) It embraces other forms of music.
(D) It avoids political themes.
(E) It has influenced much of contemporary literature.

6 
 6. It can be inferred from the passage that Ellison most clearly holds which one of the following views regarding an audience’s relationship to works of art?

(A) Audiences respond more favorably to art that has no political content.
(B) Groundless criticism of an artist’s work can hinder an audience’s reception of the work.
(C) Audiences have the capacity for empathy required to appreciate unique and expressive art.
(D) The most conscientious members of any audience are those who are aware of the specific techniques employed by the artist.
(E) Most audience members are bound by their cultural upbringing to view art from that cultural perspective.

7 
 7. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) make a case that a certain novelist is one of the most important novelists of the twentieth century
(B) demonstrate the value of using jazz as an illustration for further understanding the novels of a certain literary trend
(C) explain the relevance of a particular work and its protagonist to the political and social issues of the time
(D) defend the work of a certain novelist against criticism that it should have addressed political and social issues
(E) distinguish clearly between the value of art for art’s sake and art for purposes such as political agendas

8 
 8. The passage provides information to answer each of the following questions EXCEPT:

(A) Did Ellison himself enjoy jazz?
(B) What themes in Invisible Man were influenced by themes prevalent in jazz?
(C) What was Ellison’s response to criticism concerning the thematic blend in Invisible Man?
(D) From what literary tradition did some of the ideas explored in Invisible Man come?
(E) What kind of music did some jazz musicians use in creating their works?

sting8 · Accepted Answer

1. It can be inferred from the passage that the author most clearly holds which one of the following views?

(A) The possibility of successfully blending different cultural forms is demonstrated by jazz’s ability to incorporate European influences.  Author tells that jazz mixes and accepts other forms of music, similarly Ellison can blend European and African American literature style. 
(B) The technique of blending the artistic concerns of two cultures could be an effective tool for social and political action.  It is not mentioned whether Invisible Man or jazz were "effectively" used for political action.  
(C) Due to the success of Invisible Man, Ellison was able to generate a renewed interest in and greater appreciation for jazz.  Irrelevant 
(D) The protagonist in Invisible Man illustrates the difficulty of combining the concerns of African Americans and concerns thought to be European in origin.  Nowhere difficulty is mentioned, it is only mentioned that Ellison blended, critics have raised concerns which are not true according to the author 
(E) Ellison’s literary technique, though effective, is unfortunately too esoteric and complex to generate a large audience.  Irrelevant

2. Based on the passage, Ellison’s critics would most likely have responded favorably to Invisible Man if it had

(A) created a positive effect on the social conditions of the time  Yes, critics wanted Ellison to focus on social and political affairs of the African Americans. 
(B) provided a historical record of the plight of African Americans  Irrelevant, critics wanted Ellison to focus on present social and political affairs  
(C) contained a tribute to the political contributions of African American predecessors  Same as B 
(D) prompted a necessary and further separation of American literature from European literary style    TRAP   I fell into this. Critics focus on African American literature being distinct, not the general American literature 
(E) generated a large audience made up of individuals from many cultural backgrounds  Critics focus on unique African American literature being distinct, I don't think they would take multiple backgrounds positively

3. The expression “cultural segregation in the arts” (lines 22-23) most clearly refers to

(A) a general tendency within the arts whereby certain images and themes recur within the works of certain cultures.  General arts are not concerned, focus is on Af-Am literature being different from European 
(B) an obvious separation within the art community resulting from artists’ differing aesthetic principles.  Irrelevant 
(C) the cultural isolation artists feel when they address issues of individual identity.  Whole book is about the book and its criticisms, artist's feeling is never mentioned 
(D) the cultural obstacles that affect an audience’s appreciation of art  Same as C 
(E) an expectation placed on an artist to uphold a specific cultural agenda in the creation of art.  Yes, Ellison wanted to blend European and Af-Am literature which he felt critics wanted to segregate

4. The primary purpose of the third paragraph is to

(A) summarize the thematic concerns of an artist in relation to other artists within the discipline.  Artist to artist comparison is never made 
(B) affirm the importance of two artistic disciplines in relation to cultural concerns.  Importance of jazz or literature is not the concern, similarity of development is 
(C) identify the source of the thematic content of one artist’s work.  Sources are not concerned, similarity between jazz development and its example to justify blending of writing styles are discussed 
(D) celebrate one artistic discipline by viewing it from the perspective of an artist from another discipline.  Neither jazz views from literature perspective nor vice versa 
(E) introduce a context within which the work of one artist may be more fully illuminated.  POE

5. Which one of the following statements about jazz is made in the passage?
 
(A) It is not accessible to a wide audience.
(B) It is the most complex of modern musical forms.
(C) It embraces other forms of music.  Specifically mentioned in para 3 
(D) It avoids political themes.
(E) It has influenced much of contemporary literature.

6. It can be inferred from the passage that Ellison most clearly holds which one of the following views regarding an audience’s relationship to works of art?

(A) Audiences respond more favorably to art that has no political content.
(B) Groundless criticism of an artist’s work can hinder an audience’s reception of the work.
(C) Audiences have the capacity for empathy required to appreciate unique and expressive art.
 Refer to the line from Para 1
Such a view characterizes all artists as incapable of seeing the world—with all its subtleties and complications—in unique yet expressive ways, and it makes the  narrow assumption  that audiences are capable of viewing the world only from their own perspectives.
Thus, the tone of the author specifies, he is against this assumption of audiences being naïve. 
(D) The most conscientious members of any audience are those who are aware of the specific techniques employed by the artist.
(E) Most audience members are bound by their cultural upbringing to view art from that cultural perspective.

7. The primary purpose of the passage is to
 
(A) make a case that a certain novelist is one of the most important novelists of the twentieth century.  Focus is on the book not the writer 
(B) demonstrate the value of using jazz as an illustration for further understanding the novels of a certain literary trend  Jazz is presented as an example, not the primary purpose 
(C) explain the relevance of a particular work and its protagonist to the political and social issues of the time  Focus is on the writing style of the book, not its relevance  
(D) defend the work of a certain novelist against criticism that it should have addressed political and social issues  Yes, the focus is on the rebuttal of criticisms of the writing style 
(E) distinguish clearly between the value of art for art’s sake and art for purposes such as political agendas  Irrelevant

8. The passage provides information to answer each of the following questions EXCEPT:
 
(A) Did Ellison himself enjoy jazz?  Mentioned in para 3 
(B) What themes in Invisible Man were influenced by themes prevalent in jazz?  Similarity between jazz and the book are talked about, not relation/influence between them 
(C) What was Ellison’s response to criticism concerning the thematic blend in Invisible Man?  Author rebuts both criticisms 
(D) From what literary tradition did some of the ideas explored in Invisible Man come?  The book focused on individuality, that's mentioned many times 
(E) What kind of music did some jazz musicians use in creating their works?  Mentioned, that they embraced different music varieties

Please consider giving kudos if this helps

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

8. The passage provides information to answer each of the following questions EXCEPT:

Explanation

Ellison had a  “love for...jazz” (line 31)  in answer to  (A) , and the words  “He replied”  in  line 20  confirm that the rest of  paragraph 2  answers  (C) ’s question.

The answer to  (D)  is  “from both European and African American traditions,”  and that’s supplied by  lines 39-41  and  47-49 . The same lines that confirmed  (C)  as correct in question 5,  lines 32-37 , address  (E)’s  query. But as we noted in discussing wrong choice  (E)  in that same question, the author uses jazz to illuminate Invisible Man but never asserts that jazz consciously influenced its author, so  (B)  is the question that goes unanswered.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Summary

Paragraph 1: 
"Invisible Man," published in 1952, explores themes of African American history and individual identity, blending them with ideas from European writers. Ellison faced criticism for prioritizing individual concerns over political action and for using European literary styles, seen as hindering the development of African American novelistic style.

Paragraph 2: 
Ellison rejects the criticism that writers should sacrifice their individuality for political or cultural purposes, arguing against cultural segregation in the arts. He believes artists have unique perspectives and audiences can view the world from different angles.

Paragraph 3: 
Ellison's love for jazz offers a model for understanding "Invisible Man." Jazz incorporates various influences, similar to Ellison's blending of themes, and expresses African American culture. He avoids imitation and artistic isolation by exploring identity and character issues.

Paragraph 4: 
Jazz's structure, with solos rooted in the band's rhythm section, mirrors the relationship between the artist and the community in "Invisible Man." Ellison's exploration of European and African American ideas pays homage to his predecessors, alleviating the protagonist's sense of alienation. Despite physical isolation, the protagonist remains connected to the community through their cultural heritage.

Legenddary1234 · Answer

My take on question 8

(A) Did Ellison himself enjoy jazz? - Yes, the passage mentions that Ellison had a love for and celebration of jazz (line 31).

(B) What themes in Invisible Man were influenced by themes prevalent in jazz? - The passage suggests that like jazz musicians transforming European-influenced songs into unique pieces that express African American culture, Ellison also explored themes of identity and character (lines 39-40).

(C) What was Ellison’s response to criticism concerning the thematic blend in Invisible Man? - Ellison defended his work by arguing against the idea of cultural segregation in the arts and asserting the importance of individual expression (lines 19-28).

(D) From what literary tradition did some of the ideas explored in Invisible Man come? - The passage mentions that Ellison explored themes that were also covered by many European writers (lines 6-7).

(E) What kind of music did some jazz musicians use in creating their works? - The passage mentions that some jazz musicians were able to take the European-influenced songs of U.S. theater and transform them into unique and personal musical pieces that also express African American culture (lines 33-35).

However, the passage does not provide an answer to:

(B) What themes in Invisible Man were influenced by themes prevalent in jazz? The passage suggests a parallel between Ellison's approach to literature and the approach of jazz musicians, but it doesn't specify which themes in Invisible Man were directly influenced by themes prevalent in jazz.

nbharti · Answer

2. Based on the passage, Ellison’s critics would most likely have responded favorably to Invisible Man if it had

(A) created a positive effect on the social conditions of the time
(B) provided a historical record of the plight of African Americans
(C) contained a tribute to the political contributions of African American predecessors
(D) prompted a necessary and further separation of American literature from European literary style
(E) generated a large audience made up of individuals from many cultural backgrounds

Isn't (A) too broad? If the option had said that it created a positive effect in the social conditions of African American political discourse, then it would have been pinpointed. I marked (D), prompted a  necessary  and further separation of American literature from European literary style, but I understand that  necessary  is not something which is inferred from the passage.

Can someone throw some light on this question?

guddo · Answer

2. Based on the passage, Ellison’s critics would most likely have responded favorably to Invisible Man if it had

The passage says Ellison received two criticisms. First, critics believed that his focus on individual concerns prevented him from directing his art more toward the political action demanded by the social and political situation of his time. Second, they believed that his use of European fictional modes weakened the development of a distinctly African American novelistic style.  The stronger and more direct criticism is that the novel was not politically active enough .

(A) created a positive effect on the social conditions of the time

Correct. The critics thought Ellison’s art should have been more directed toward political action in response to the social and political conditions of the time. So they would likely have responded more favorably if Invisible Man had produced a positive social effect.

(B) provided a historical record of the plight of African Americans

Wrong. The critics wanted politically engaged art, not merely a historical record.

(C) contained a tribute to the political contributions of African American predecessors

Wrong. The passage does not say the critics wanted tribute to predecessors. The discussion of predecessors appears in the author’s defense of Ellison, not in the critics’ position.

(D) prompted a necessary and further separation of American literature from European literary style

Tempting, but wrong. The critics did object to Ellison’s use of European fictional modes, but this option says “American literature,” not specifically African American novelistic style. It also overstates the point. The clearest concern was that Ellison’s novel did not sufficiently serve  political action .

(E) generated a large audience made up of individuals from many cultural backgrounds

Wrong. The critics’ objection was not about the size or diversity of the audience.

Answer: (A)

guddo · Answer

Yes, A is broad, but it is still supported.

The critics wanted Ellison’s art to be directed toward  political action  demanded by his era’s social and political conditions. So a positive effect on the social conditions of the time fits that criticism.

D is not better because the passage says the critics wanted a distinctly African American style, not a separation of American literature from European style generally. Also, as you noted,  necessary  is not supported.

So A is broader than ideal, but D changes the target too much.

Saonli · Answer

Basically Ellison was criticised on two points ( as enumerated in lines 10-17)
Critics did not appreciate the emphasis on individualism as opposed to socio-political affairs that surround him

In view of this you can cross out B, C and E
Between D and A, I’d say that a separation of American literature from its European counterpart was not in the asking...
Look at the lines :Critics felt that indulging in European fictional modes lessened his contribution to the development of a distinctly African American novelistic style...

Therefore the choice boils down to A

Anandanwar · Answer

Hello,

For Q2:
The passage says that the critics wanted the Ellison to focus more on social and political causes. But it does not say that the novel did not create positive effect.
Choice A: says that Ellison???s critics would most likely have responded favorably if it created positive effect on the social front. 
But since may be the novel did create a positive effect or may be not, isn't the choice a rejection candidate?

Because of this I rejected A.
Could someone please explain?

Regards,
Ankit

guddo · Answer

The question asks what critics would have liked  if the novel had done something different . So A does not need to prove that Invisible Man actually failed to create a positive social effect.

The passage says the critics wanted Ellison’s art to be directed more toward political action demanded by the era’s social and political conditions. So if the novel had clearly created a positive effect on those conditions, it would have answered that criticism.

In other words, A is not saying what definitely happened. It is saying what would have satisfied the critics’  stated concern .

egmat · Answer

Hi Anandanwar,

Your instinct to be suspicious of "unverifiable" claims is a good RC habit, but here it's being applied to the wrong thing. Let me show you the exact spot where it slips.

Look closely at how the question is framed:

"Ellison's critics would most likely have responded favorably to Invisible Man  if it had  created a positive effect on the social conditions of the time."

That  "if it had"  is the key. The stem is asking a  hypothetical : under what imagined condition would the critics have been pleased? Choice A is not claiming that the novel  actually  created a positive social effect. It's describing a "what-if" world. So whether the novel really did or didn't have that effect is  beside the point  - the choice never asserts it happened.

The gap to fix

You tested A against the passage as if it were a factual claim ("did the novel create a positive effect?") and, finding the passage silent, eliminated it. But a conditional answer to an "if it had ___" stem only needs to match  what the critics wanted  - not a confirmed event in the passage.

So the real question becomes:  what did the critics want?  The passage tells us directly. Their first and stronger criticism was that Ellison's focus on the individual kept him from "directing his art more toward the  political action  that critics believed was demanded by his era's  social and political  state of affairs." So a novel that produced a positive effect on the social conditions of the time is exactly what would have satisfied them. A is supported - not as a fact about the novel, but as a correct read of the critics' stated demand.

A quick way to retrain the instinct

Rewrite the stem in your head as  "The critics wanted the novel to ___."  Fill the blank from the passage, then find the choice that matches. Here the blank is "serve the political/social action of the time" - and that's A.

Answer: A

Published in 1952, Invisible Man featured a protagonist whose activiti

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Published in 1952, Invisible Man featured a protagonist whose activiti

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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