PrepTest 153

Incorrect. (Lines 16-17) Passage A notes that the blues reflects alienation from society. However, there's no indication that griots felt alienated and, in fact, they were singing about experiences of those who were at the top of society, reflecting societal values, in public and at important events. If anything, they seem pretty plugged into society, despite their low social standing.

Incorrect. (Lines 17-20) Passage A notes that the blues grew out of the societal destruction caused by slavery, but Passage B doesn't bring up a similar loss that led to the music of the griot.

Incorrect. (Lines 33-37; Lines 58-61) Passage B notes that griots served as guardians of the norms and culture, so this answer applies to that passage. However, there's no similar statement in Passage A. That passage does note that the blues captured a personal dimension of a larger social truth, but that's not a tradition of the society.

Incorrect. (Lines 18-20) Passage A says that the blues couldn't have grown out of the griot tradition, as slavery destroyed what ""made the griot's art possible."" And Passage B doesn't talk about any other musical tradition.

Correct. Question Type:
Must Be True

Strategy Overview:
Note the similarities between the two types of music

Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
The only direct comparison we get between the two types of music is in Lines 3-5 and Lines 15-17 of Passage A, where the performers and focus are said to be quite different. Since this question is asking about something true of both of them, we're going to have to infer that similarity since one isn't stated.

In Passage A, it's noted that blues musicians focused on their personal experience of ""heartache and hardship,"" and how they felt ""alienation and anomie."" This was against the larger social backdrop of the destruction of the social fabric due to slavery.

In Passage B, it's noted that griots sang about their patrons, reflecting social values and how their patrons adhered to them. They thus captured a lot about the values and history of their society.

So where's the overlap? Well, both sets of musicians were singing about personal experience (though the griots were singing about someone else's personal experience). Both reflected something about society. Let's find an answer reflecting one of those features.

Answer Explanation:
(Lines 14-26; Lines 53-61) Passage A notes that blues music sings about feelings of alienation and anomie, heartache and hardship. Passage B notes that griots sang about the brave deeds of their patrons' families and how their patrons acted in accord with public values. In both cases, there is a specific set of themes that the musicians worked in, so this is the correct answer. (If you didn't know what ""circumscribed"" meant, you should look it up! You'll remember it better that way. Also, you wouldn't need to know the meaning to pick this answer—it talks about the music being drawn from themes, and both passages discuss that.)

Key Takeaway:
When an LSAT answer throws a word at you that you don't know, but it otherwise seems correct, rely on process of elimination. If that word's the only thing holding you back from an answer, and you've eliminated all of the others, there's no reason to hesitate in picking it at that point.