LSAT 141 | Section 1 | Reading Comprehension: Q15

RC Question 15 Explanation

DISCUSSION: There’s no good way to prephrase primary purpose questions. There are multiple possible answers.

In general, before moving on from a passage, you should have a good idea of what the author thinks and why they say what they say.

In this case, the author likes Cameron. Lines 43-46 come closest to summing up the passage: The mix of amateur/artistic is what makes the photographs interesting.

This question also uses lines 14-20, which tell us that Cameron did not intend to make photos that were a mix of goofy and serious. She wanted to make high art.

___________

1. This isn’t it. The passage doesn’t say anything about Cameron’s development. The main discussion is of Cameron’s failure to achieve her artistic goals. (This failure was a good thing, see lines 43-46).
2. CORRECT. See lines 14-20 and 43-46. The author likes Cameron’s works because they are part amateurish, part artistic.
   Lines 14-20 are what justify this answer. Cameron wasn’t trying to make amateurish photographs! Her goal was to make serious art. She failed at her goal, but made better pictures as a result.
3. Cameron’s vision wasn’t necessarily theatrical. She seems to have been inspired by great paintings as much or more than she was inspired by theatre (see lines 6-10).
4. The author isn’t interested in saying Cameron failed. The author liked Cameron! See lines 43-46.
5. The Passing of Arthur is not the main point of the passage. It’s just an example that supports the passage’s idea, which is that Cameron’s works were interesting because of the amateur/artistic mix seen in works such as The Passing of Arthur.