Reading comp PrepTest 146 · Section 4 · Question 14

Passage

 .       Most sociohistorical interpretations of art view a  . body of work as the production of a class, generally a Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage SummaryTopic: Humanities

Paragraph 1
  • Paragraph note
    • A view is presented along with a shortcoming in it
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Most interpretations (e.g., Taruskin) - Art produced for ruling class, reflecting their ideals
    • Shortcoming - Two different ways that happens
Paragraph 2
  • Paragraph note
    • The two ways are described
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Way 1 - Rich person pays well-known artist to make a display piece (e.g., a house)
    • Way 2 - Rich person pays for work that expresses ideals (e.g., Pope hiring Raphael for apartment pieces)
Paragraph 3
  • Paragraph note
    • The interpretations go with one way, showing assumptions
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Taruskin et al focus on Way 2
    • Assumptions - The elite have a consensus set of values; the artists don't subvert these values
Paragraph 4
  • Paragraph note
    • Breakdown of social classes and the implications for art (Assumption 1 is bad)
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Upper class (Arnold) - Ruling and middle class (philistines)
    • Implication for art - Talented artists found room at margins (e.g., rich eccentric person)
Paragraph 5
  • Paragraph note
    • How artists subverted ideals of elite (Assumption 2 is bad)
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Artists went against elite values, and some survived
    • Author - Taruskin bends over backwards to explain this unconvincingly ("hidden ways", "unaware," work of which they overtly disapproved")
Main Point:
Taruskin's and most sociohistorical analysis of art focuses on just one way that art was made, and it rests on two assumptions that don't reflect the full reality of the situation.

Key Lines:
Lines 1-3 - The opposing point is introduced
Lines 7-10 - A shortcoming of that point is introduced
Lines 8-9 - Upcoming structure is introduced
Lines 11-19 - The structure plays out
Lines 20-21 - The shortcoming is put in context
Lines 24-30 - Two assumptions of the view are noted
Lines 37-41 - Assumption 1 is undermined
Lines 41-44 - An implication of that is noted
Lines 45-47 - Assumption 2 is undermined

Meta-Structure:
View/Criticism - The Author presents the view of "[m]ost sociohistorical" interpretations of art (Lines 1-3), but she then pivots to showing how it neglects one of two ways that art was created (Lines 20-21), and even that rests on assumptions (Lines 24-30) that are wrong (Lines 37-41; Lines 45-47).

Undermining Assumptions - The Author notes two assumptions of the opposing point—two things that "must be" (and "must also be") true for the argument to hold together. When presenting assumptions—especially to a view that she clearly disagrees with—it's likely that the Author will go on to undermine or offer evidence against those assumptions. Here, even though it doesn't explicitly say that that's what it's doing, being primed to look for it makes it a lot easier for us to spot that the next two paragraphs each tackle one of them. The first assumption was that "the elite had...some type of consensus about the world" (Lines 26-27) and the following paragraph talks about how the elite were split, with neither group particularly interested in saying something important with art (Lines 39-41). And The second assumption was that artists didn't subvert the ideals of their patrons (Lines 29-30), which Paragraph 5 undermines by bringing up the art that in fact did cut against these values and were made "unwillingly and with misgivings" by the establishment (Lines 45-47).

Extended Example - The passage is about most sociohistorical interpretations of art, but it uses one person/example to "put a face" to this argument—Taruskin. Since he's an example of this type of analysis, he's not necessary in any main point or big picture questions, as the passage is about more than just his analysis.

Last Thoughts:
The two local structures here (two ways in Paragraph 1 and 2; two assumptions in Paragraphs 3-5) will likely help us work through the questions. Be sure to note such defined structures when they show up!

Question prompt

The passage suggests that Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: E

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Question Type

Humanities

Answer choices

  1. A
    a belief in the Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 40-41) Even if you're not sure of the definition of Philistine (someone who is hostile/indifferent to the arts), Arnold still attributes respectability as the driving force behind the middle class, not a belief in the importance of the arts.
  2. B
    a dislike for the Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 40-41) There's no discussion of how the middle class felt about aristocratic-sponsored art.
  3. C
    a belief that patronage Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 40-41) Arnold does identify respectability as a drive of the middle class patronage of the art, but he never ties that back to profitability. While you might think that a respectable merchant would make more money, the passage itself never draws that connection.
  4. D
    a realization that patronage Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 34-26) This answer is pretty similar to answer choice (A), and partially wrong for the same reason. Additionally, the Author has already noted that art commissioned by the middle class has not always been apt to endure. While that doesn't necessarily reflect Arnold's view, it's the only one we get and it cuts against this answer.
  5. E
    a desire to establish Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E matches the stem
    Correct. Question Type:
    Must Be True

    Strategy Overview:
    Review what Matthew Arnold said about the middle class and anticipate a specific answer to this question

    Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
    We identified where Matthew Arnold's opinion was stated for Question #9, and we noted it anyway as a distinct viewpoint. He showed up starting in Line 38. Looking back there, we can see that he referred to the middle class as "Philistines, obsessed with respectability" (Lines 40-41). As such, he'd likely identify the desire for respectability as the primary reason that they'd become a patron of the arts.

    Answer Explanation:
    (Lines 40-41) Arnold calls the middle class "obsessed with respectability." Since he uses a strong word there—"obsessed"—he'd presumably attribute all of their actions at least in part to a desire for respectability, including any patronage of the arts. As such, this answer about gaining a certain positive reputation lines up with his view of this group's obsession, making it the correct answer.

    Key Takeaway:
    When a viewpoint is expressed, you should note it. Always. Here, Matthew Arnold was given 3 lines in the passage. What he said didn't add much that the Author couldn't have herself said. And yet two questions were about his viewpoint. This should tell you the primary importance of any viewpoint in an RC passage.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 4%
  2. B 12%
  3. C 4%
  4. D 4%
  5. E Credited 76%

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