American author Gertrude Stein is credited with labeling the post-Worl

Question

American author Gertrude Stein is credited with labeling the post-World War I generation a “lost generation.” Over time, the phrase came to refer in part to the generation of writers who came to literary maturity after the war. Literary scholars have noticed a trend among these writers. The end of World War I facilitated a turn in the literary consciousness and a definite movement toward modernism in literature, often notable for throwing off the restraints of tradition and conveying an overall sense of emptiness and indifference. Modern literature had been developing prior to the war but was not yet firmly established. Another scholar, however, has also noted an unexpected trend: post-World War I authors have produced more fantasy literature than any other generation in history.

Which of the following may be inferred from the statements made in the passage above?

(A) Post-World War I literature is among the bleakest and most apathetic in all of literary history.

(B) All post-World War I authors rejected the traditions of the past to embrace non-traditional forms of literature.

(C) Literature became the primary outlet of frustrated veterans who had experienced the horrors of World War I.

(D) Relatively few soldiers survived World War I, and those who did were greatly altered by the experience.

(E) The experiences of World War I prompted many authors to turn to literary forms that were not as common before the war.

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Overview:

In this question, the student is given a passage that discusses the various literary developments among the post-World War I generation. The passage begins with Gertrude Stein’s comment that this was a “lost generation,” and the author of the passage goes on to explain that many of the post-war writers began turning toward modernism in literature by “throwing off the restraints of tradition and conveying an overall sense of emptiness and indifference.” The author does note that modern literature was in development prior to the start of World War I but that it became far more prevalent after the war. Additionally, the author concludes by noting that one scholar has argued for an increase in fantasy literature after World War I, more in fact “than any other generation in history.” The question asks the student to determine which of the answer choices might best be inferred from statements made in the passage. As always with inference questions, the student must focus on locating an answer choice that can point directly back to a statement or more than one statement made in the passage. Any answer choice that pushes the inference beyond the information provided will not be correct, because it assumes more than the passage offers.

The Correct Answer:

E The discussion of the rise of modern literature and the mention of the rise of fantasy literature after World War I—in conjunction with the explanation that both forms were in existence but not necessarily prevalent prior to the war—suggests that the war itself contributed to the genres in which the “lost generation” chose to write. Answer choice (E) best explains this and is, therefore, correct.

The Incorrect Answers:

A The author of the passage does mention that post-World War I modern writers are often known for “throwing off the restraints of tradition and conveying an overall sense of emptiness and indifference.” This does not mean, however, that their writing is among the bleakest and most apathetic in all of literary history, nor can this be inferred from the information provided in the passage. Answer choice (A) assumes too much, so it cannot be correct.

B The passage indicates that many post-World War I authors rejected literary conventions of the past. The passage does not indicate, however, that all authors rejected the literary conventions of the past. The word “all” is far too universal to be inferred from the information in the passage, so answer choice (B) must be incorrect.

C The author of the passage does imply that a number of post-World War I authors were veterans who had experienced the horrors of the war. But there is nothing in the passage to suggest that veterans focused primarily on literature as an outlet after the war. Answer choice (C) assumes too much, so it must be eliminated.

D The passage certainly implies that World War I left the soldiers with strong impressions, but there is simply not enough information in the passage to indicate the number of soldiers to have survived the war. The initial part of answer choice (D) cannot be inferred from the passage, so it must be incorrect.

unraveled · Answer

American author Gertrude Stein is credited with labeling the post-World War I generation a “lost generation.” Over time, the phrase came to refer in part to the generation of writers who came to literary maturity after the war. Literary scholars have noticed a trend among these writers. The end of World War I facilitated a turn in the literary consciousness and a definite movement toward modernism in literature, often notable for throwing off the restraints of tradition and conveying an overall sense of emptiness and indifference. Modern literature had been developing prior to the war but was not yet firmly established. Another scholar, however, has also noted an unexpected trend: post-World War I authors have produced more fantasy literature than any other generation in history.

Which of the following may be inferred from the statements made in the passage above?

(A) Post-World War I literature is among the  bleakest and most  apathetic in all of literary history. - WRONG. Not inferable.

(B)  All  post-World War I authors rejected the traditions of the past to embrace non-traditional forms of literature. - WRONG. Like A this is also explicit and not inferable.

(C) Literature  became the primary outlet  of frustrated veterans who had experienced the horrors of World War I. - WRONG. True may be in real world but not inferable here.

(D) Relatively few soldiers  survived  World War I, and those who did were  greatly altered  by the experience. - WRONG. Nothing such sort of is discussed.

(E) The experiences of World War I prompted many authors to turn to literary forms that  were not as common before  the war. - CORRECT. Points out the developments in modern literature - a turn in the literary consciousness and a definite movement toward modernism.

Answer E.

American author Gertrude Stein is credited with labeling the post-Worl

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American author Gertrude Stein is credited with labeling the post-Worl

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