Official Explanation
1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
Explanation
This is a primary purpose question, as indicated by the phrase primary purpose. The task of the question is to determine why the author wrote the passage. The subject of the question is the passage as a whole. In order to answer the question, determine why the author wrote the passage, then evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice that does not match the author’s primary purpose. According to the passage, critics almost invariably refer to slave narratives published before 1865. However, many ex-slaves wrote about their return to the South after the war and about reunions with their former masters. These significant postbellum narratives have been largely ignored. The passage describes a narrative by Frederick Douglass, comparing him briefly to many slave narrators. The passage concludes he believed that his narrative was not one of weakness but strength despite the fact that accounts such as his were often criticized or condemned by other opponents of slavery. Thus, the author wrote the passage in order to highlight some significant postbellum narratives.
Choice A: No. This answer may seem appealing because the passage states many ex-slaves wrote about their return, and compares Douglass to many slave narrators in the postbellum era. However, this is a memory trap. The passage only examines one example of a genre, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.
Choice B: No. This answer may seem tempting because the passage states critics almost invariably refer to slave narratives published before 1865, and accounts such as the one written by Douglass were often criticized or condemned by other opponents of slavery. But this answer is a reversal, because the critique is not the author’s. The author claims significant postbellum narratives have been largely ignored.
Choice C: No. This answer may seem appealing because the passage states accounts such as the one written by Douglass were often criticized or condemned by other opponents of slavery…But Douglass rejected such attacks on personal, cultural, and political grounds. However, this is a memory trap and the word refute is extreme language. The author uses Frederick Douglass’s narrative as an example of significant postbellum narratives that have been largely ignored, not to refute criticism.
Choice D: Correct. The passage states many ex-slaves wrote about their return to the South after the war…These significant postbellum narratives have been largely ignored. The author discusses what is striking about many of these narratives, and examines The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.
Choice E: No. This answer may seem tempting because the passage states these significant postbellum narratives have been largely ignored and mentions a trait of many of these narratives. But evidence for a literary theory is extreme language. The author cites Douglass’s narrative as evidence of a neglected group of works about ex-slaves’ return to the South after the war.
The correct answer is choice D.
2. With which of the following statements regarding postbellum narratives would the author be most likely to agree?
Explanation
The phrase be most likely to agree in the question stem indicates that this is an inference question. The task of the question is indicated by the phrase would the author be most likely to agree. The subject of the question is postbellum narratives. In order to answer the question, determine what the passage states about the subject and evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice that cannot be supported by the text. The passage mentions emotionally charged reunions between the protagonists and their former “owners.” In many instances, long-standing class differences were surprisingly bridged, and reconciliation occurred between black and white. However, the passage goes on to state accounts such as the one written by Douglass were often criticized or condemned by other opponents of slavery. To some, including many modern observers, the narrative appeared to undermine the long-standing abolitionist scorn for the patriarchal justification of slavery. Therefore, forgiveness may not have always been a factor in the return.
Choice A: Correct. The passage states Accounts such as the one written by Douglass were often criticized or condemned by other opponents of slavery. To some, including many modern observers, the narrative appeared to undermine the long-standing abolitionist scorn for the patriarchal justification of slavery. The author mentions cases of reconciliation, but only one example of forgiveness.
Choice B: No. This answer may seem tempting because the passage states To some, including many modern observers, the narrative appeared to undermine the long-standing abolitionist scorn for the patriarchal justification of slavery. However, the phrase well justified is extreme language. The author describes how Douglass rejected such attacks and the author focuses on reconciliation in significant postbellum narratives.
Choice C: No. This answer may seem appealing because of the recycled language idea of mutual victimization. However, the phrase only explanation is extreme language. The passage states this idea was certainly not something Douglass had argued in his previous autobiographical accounts of slavery. Furthermore, one of the chief results of antebellum slave narratives was that the sentimental image of the relationship between slave and master was discredited, which indicates there may have been other motivations for meeting.
Choice D: No. This answer may seem tempting because the passage states when discussing Civil War-era narratives, critics almost invariably refer to slave narratives published before 1865. However, the word unaware is extreme language. The author claims these significant postbellum narratives have been largely ignored, not unknown.
Choice E: No. This answer may seem appealing because the passage states Accounts…were often criticized or condemned by other opponents of slavery. To some…the narrative appeared to undermine the long-standing abolitionist scorn for the patriarchal justification of slavery. However, a reluctance is a reversal. The passage, in describing the most famous scene of reconciliation, states Douglass returned to Talbot County hoping to see his former master and made an effort to make peace with Auld.
The correct answer is choice A.
3. According to the passage, which of the following is true of the publication of antebellum slave narratives?
Explanation
The phrase according to the passage indicates that this is a retrieval question. The task of the question is indicated by the phrase according to the passage, which of the following is true. The subject of the question is the publication of antebellum slave narratives. In order to answer the question, determine what the passage states about the subject and evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice that cannot be supported by the text. According to the passage, one of the chief results of antebellum slave narratives was that the sentimental image of the relationship between slave and master was discredited.
Choice A: No. The recycled language strength may make this choice appealing. However, this answer is a reversal. While Douglass believed that his narrative was not one of weakness but strength, the strength to hold on to the past despite its painful associations, his accounts were often criticized or condemned by other opponents of slavery, some of who possessed long-standing abolitionist scorn for the patriarchal justification of slavery. Furthermore, Douglass’s account was postbellum, not antebellum.
Choice B: No. This answer may seem tempting because the passage states critics almost invariably refer to slave narratives published before 1865 and many ex-slaves wrote about their return to the South after the war. However, the tendency of slaves is extreme language. The passage mentions many slave narrators in the postbellum era but does not claim there was a tendency…to write autobiographical works.
Choice C: No. This answer may seem appealing because the passage mentions the narrative appeared to undermine the long-standing abolitionist scorn for the patriarchal justification of slavery, and Douglass rejected such attacks. However, it is extreme language to state they caused some readers to attack the abolitionist movement. The only attacks mentioned are against Douglass who was criticized or condemned by other opponents of slavery for writing about reconciliation in postbellum accounts.
Choice D: No. This answer may seem tempting because the passage states narratives have been largely ignored. However, this answer is a reversal. The author described how significant postbellum narratives have been largely ignored. The author also states one of the chief results of antebellum slave narratives was that the sentimental image of the relationship between slave and master was discredited, which indicates that antebellum narratives were not ignored.
Choice E: Correct. The passage states one of the chief results of antebellum slave narratives was that the sentimental image of the relationship between slave and master was discredited, which indicates the romanticized picture of the relationship between masters and slaves master was not accurate.
The correct answer is choice E.
4. It can be inferred from the passage that antebellum slave narratives
Explanation
The phrase it can be inferred in the question stem indicates that this is an inference question. The task of the question is indicated by the word inferred. The subject of the question is antebellum slave narratives. In order to answer the question, determine what the passage states about the subject and evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice that cannot be supported by the text. The passage states one of the chief results of antebellum slave narratives was that the sentimental image of the relationship between slave and master was discredited. In contrast, postbellum narratives of reconciliation were criticized or condemned by other opponents of slavery because they appeared to undermine the long-standing abolitionist scorn for the patriarchal justification of slavery. This indicates that it was unlikely that antebellum slave narratives referenced positive relationships.
Choice A: No. The recycled language criticized may make this choice appealing. However, this answer is a reversal. The passage refers to opponents of slavery who criticized or condemned postbellum accounts, not antebellum slave narratives.
Choice B: No. This answer may seem tempting because Douglass regarded both of us as victims of the system. However, this answer is a reversal. This sentiment is not evident in antebellum narratives. The passage states like many slave narrators in the postbellum era, he was not averse to showing slavery’s harmful effects on whites as well as blacks.
Choice C: Correct. The author mentions that postbellum narratives of reconciliation were criticized or condemned by other opponents of slavery because they appeared to undermine the long-standing abolitionist scorn for the patriarchal justification of slavery. The passage states one of the chief results of antebellum slave narratives was that the sentimental image of the relationship between slave and master was discredited.
Choice D: No. This answer may seem appealing because the passage states when discussing Civil War-era narratives, critics almost invariably refer to slave narratives published before 1865. However, significant monetary rewards is extreme language. There is no such comparison between the slave narratives’ monetary rewards.
Choice E: No. This answer may seem tempting because the passage states when discussing Civil War-era narratives, critics almost invariably refer to slave narratives published before 1865. However, popular with readers is extreme language. The passage states one of the chief results of antebellum slave narratives was that the sentimental image of the relationship between slave and master was discredited, but refrains from discussing their popularity.
The correct answer is choice C.
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Updated on: 23 Jan 2021, 03:16
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