LSAT 149 | Section 2 | Reading Comprehension: Q27

RC Question 27 Explanation

DISCUSSION: Much like other questions, there’s no way to prephrase this. Instead, you have to have a command of the details of the passage.

___________

1. CORRECT. The second half of paragraph 3 supports this answer ( lines 49-56). Gilman believed that male traits like assertiveness etc. were once necessary to build society. But Gilman thought that now such values were no longer necessary, and society should instead use more stereotypically feminine values.
2. Actually, in the second half of paragraph 2 Gilman says that individuals can help society evolve by picking socially useful work that suits them.
3. Gilman doesn’t suggest any difficulty. She merely urges women to eliminate traditional gender roles. We’re not told if she thought this was easy or hard. The author also never draws any distinction between gender roles and gender hierarchies. (Relevant lines are 46-56, end of paragraph 3)
4. Paragraph 2 says that Social Darwinism does have ethical implications! For example, there is the requirement to find a job you can be good at and that is socially useful.
5. Gilman urged women to move past gender roles. If she thought progress towards cooperation was “inevitable” then there would be no need to urge anyone to do anything. The change would come about naturally due to social evolution.