LSAT 158 | Section 1 | Reading Comprehension: Q12

RC Question 12 Explanation

DISCUSSION: This question requires you to understand what the word “authenticity” means in the context of paragraph 2. “Authenticity” here refers to the fact that the picaro openly acts upon their “[spontaneous]…roguish…impulses”. This is in contrast to society which publicly condemns their own vices while secretly acting upon them.

So the correct answer should be about following your desires.

___________

1. The passage tells us that the picaro isn’t one for conformity. An “original” in this context means a model, like if you copy a painting, you make a copy that conforms to the original paining. This is the very opposite of authenticity.
2. The passage doesn’t specify certain essential features. The second paragraph only tells us what the picaro can represent.
    
   This answer is a definition of the word “authenticity”, but it is not the definition used by the passage in paragraph 2.
3. This is the opposite of what a picaro is. The picaro doesn’t conform to others around him. It is true that others secretly engages in vices, but the picaro is different because he openly engages in his desires.
4. The passage says that the picaro often ends up marginalized – that doesn’t exactly inspire others to trust him. In fact, the literature critics think the picaro can accurately be called “a trickster”!
5. CORRECT. Authenticity is used in this context to mean that the picaro is acting on his natural impulses. He is authentic in his desires and hides nothing.