Source: Revised GRE PDF 2nd Ed. Section 4; #9 (p. 66)
Niket Subhedar
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Apr 2, 2018 • Comment
Sam Kinsman
Hi Niket,
You are right that the term "major development" is not all that specific. However, the passage focuses on Behn's transition from writing plays to writing prose narratives. This is a big change - so it is a "major development" in Behn's career. Thus, answer choice E is an accurate description of the passage's main focus.
Answer choice D says: "contrasting the approaches to tragedy taken by Behn and by Dryden." The passage does discuss this - but notice that Dryden is not mentioned until the second paragraph. So this answer does not cover account for the first paragraph. Therefore, it doesn't quite work.
Apr 4, 2018 • Reply
Abhipshito Bhattacharya
Hi.
Need some help here . Para 1 talks about Behn switching from writing plays to penning novels ,para 2 is about the contrast between Behn and Drydens approach to tragedy ..para 2 doesnt really talk about any development in her career at all..Can you please tell me why its E and not D ..both seem to be correct in their own rights.
Cheers,
Abhi .
Aug 8, 2016 • Comment
Cydney Seigerman, Magoosh Tutor
Hi Abhi,
Happy to help :) We can get a good idea of the primary purpose of the passage from the last sentence of the first paragraph, which states the author of the passage's viewpoint:
"Carnell argues that Behn, whose stage productions are primarily comedies, may have turned to an emerging literary form, the novel, in a conscious attempt to criticize, and subvert for her own ends, the conventions and ideology of a well-established form of her day, the dramatic tragedy."
In this sentence, the author summarizes the scholar Carnell's reasoning as to why Behn changed literary forms. Paraphrased, this reason was to criticize contemporary conventions and styles observed in the dramatic tragedy. This purpose best reflects (E).
Also, it's easier to see how the discussion of Behn's tragic novel compared to other dramatic tragedies of her day (like Dryden's works) relates to the main purpose of the passage. Behn used a different literary style to critique the dramatic tragedy. Illuminating the differences between Behn and Dryden's work, then, illustrates both the development of Behn's work and how she successfully used her work to critique other writing forms. It's also good to point out that the author is describing the views of the scholar Carnell throughout the entire passage, including the second paragraph.
In terms of the answer choices, we can say that (D) is one of the ways Carnell explains Behn's literary career and how her works differed from her contemporaries.
Does this help to see how (E) better describes the main purpose of the passage :)
Sep 4, 2016 • Reply
Adam
Hi Rovshan,
The passage reads: "According to literary critic Rachel Carnell, most scholars view this change as primarily motivated by financial considerations..."
This doesn't mean that Carnell is not a scholar. Indeed, a "scholar" is simply a "specialist in a particular branch of study." Being a literary critic therefore qualifies Carnell as a scholar of literature.
In stating "most scholars view...", the passage differentiates Carnell's view from that of other scholars.
Nov 8, 2015 • Comment
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