Reading comp PrepTest 149 · Section 2 · Question 25
Passage
Questions 21-27 . The novelist and social theorist Charlotte Perkins . Gilman, whose writings were widely read and . discussed
Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage SummaryTopic: Social Sciences
Paragraph 1
An activist view of Social Darwinism said that people can direct society's evolution, and one adherent of this view, Gilman, used her writing to promote a view that we have an ethical duty to do so in a way that breaks social norms, especially with respect to gender roles.
Key Lines:
Lines 9-14 - The first variation of Social Darwinism is discussed
Lines 14-20 - The second and more activist variation of Social Darwinism is discussed
Line 21 - Gilman is identified as being in the second camp
Lines 23-29 - The central thesis of that group is identified
Lines 31-38 - Gilman's specific view of this is noted
Lines 41-43 - How this translated to Gilman's work is described
Meta-Structure:
Theory/Specific implementation. The passage discusses an activist Social Darwinist theory and then explains how it was implemented by a specific adherent. This lines up with the Generalization/Application to a specific case argument in LR.
Last Thoughts:
The passage itself falls into a less common camp—one where the Author isn't present. There are no statements of opinion or reflection on the topic—just statements of what Gilman believed, argued for, and worked towards. As such, we should be wary of answers that reflect an active/opinionated Author.
The last paragraph has some unexpected aspects to it that might show up in detail questions For instance, Gilman's advocacy for gender equality might not be expected to line up with a view that gender inequality was necessary in the past, or that there are specifically male and female qualities. Such unexpected views tend to show up in questions since they cut against what we expect!
Paragraph 1
- Paragraph note
- A theory is introduced that has two variations, and a key person is said to be a supporter of one of them
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
- Theory - Social Darwinism - Survival of the fittest applies to social ideology
- Variation 1 - Completely determined by biology
- Variation 2 - Doesn't need to be competitive; can be directed by humans cooperatively
- Paragraph note
- Implications of the Variation 2 are discussed, and Gilman is aligned with it
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
- Gilman is in the second camp
- Central thesis - Humans have evolved to the point where they can consciously direct our social evolution
- Gilman - This means we have an ethical responsibility to contribute as best we can to society
- Paragraph note
- How Gilman contributed to society
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
- Through her writings, Gilman tried to break the molds that constrained people, especially women
- Belief - Gender roles were at one time important for evolution, but they're not anymore
An activist view of Social Darwinism said that people can direct society's evolution, and one adherent of this view, Gilman, used her writing to promote a view that we have an ethical duty to do so in a way that breaks social norms, especially with respect to gender roles.
Key Lines:
Lines 9-14 - The first variation of Social Darwinism is discussed
Lines 14-20 - The second and more activist variation of Social Darwinism is discussed
Line 21 - Gilman is identified as being in the second camp
Lines 23-29 - The central thesis of that group is identified
Lines 31-38 - Gilman's specific view of this is noted
Lines 41-43 - How this translated to Gilman's work is described
Meta-Structure:
Theory/Specific implementation. The passage discusses an activist Social Darwinist theory and then explains how it was implemented by a specific adherent. This lines up with the Generalization/Application to a specific case argument in LR.
Last Thoughts:
The passage itself falls into a less common camp—one where the Author isn't present. There are no statements of opinion or reflection on the topic—just statements of what Gilman believed, argued for, and worked towards. As such, we should be wary of answers that reflect an active/opinionated Author.
The last paragraph has some unexpected aspects to it that might show up in detail questions For instance, Gilman's advocacy for gender equality might not be expected to line up with a view that gender inequality was necessary in the past, or that there are specifically male and female qualities. Such unexpected views tend to show up in questions since they cut against what we expect!
Question prompt
The passage gives evidence
Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right
Credited answer: B
The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.
Question Type
Social Science
Answer choices
-
Aindustrialization
Why choice A is not credited
Incorrect. There's no mention of industrialization in the passage. -
Bfiction writing
Why choice B matches the stem
Correct. Question Type:
Must Be True
Strategy Overview:
Check the sections discussing Gilman's views to find any ""instruments"" she notes
Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
Gilman's views start in line 31 and go through the end of the passage. Skimming there, we can see that she used her writing—both fiction and social theory (Lines 43-44)—to promote her social views and build towards progress. Let's find an answer reflecting that she believed writing could serve as a tool for social progress.
Answer Explanation:
(Lines 43-44) Gilman used her own writing, both fiction and social theory, to promote her views and fight for a more just society. As such, she must have believed that fiction writing could be an instrument in social progress, so this is the correct answer.
Key Takeaway:
Note that all of these wrong answers were just straight up things that weren't mentioned in the passage, which made this question much easier than it could have been! A harder version would have brought up things that others identified as tools for social progress. But there was none of that in the passage, so they couldn't try to trap us with such an answer. -
Cinternational travel
Why choice C is not credited
Incorrect. There's no mention of international travel in the passage. -
Dreligious training
Why choice D is not credited
Incorrect. There's no mention of religion in the passage! -
Ecombative personality traits
Why choice E is not credited
Incorrect. Nope, nothing about that in the passage!
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