LSAT 113 | Section 1 | Reading Comprehension: Q20

RC Question 20 Explanation

DISCUSSION: The main point of the passage is to defend Ellison against his critics.

___________

1. The passage never said whether Ellison was better or worse than other novelists. 
2. Jazz wasn’t necessary to the argument. The author could have used any African-American art form that drew on foreign influences. 
3. The author didn’t say whether Ellison’s work was relevant to the political struggles of African-Americans in 1952. The last paragraph says that Ellison’s novel is linked to the African-American community, but political and social issues aren’t mentioned.
4. CORRECT. The criticism comes in the first paragraph. The rest of the passage argues against the critics. 
5. Huh? The passage never said if Ellison’s novel was “art for art’s sake”. And it never said whether political novels were good or bad.