LSAT 90, Reading Comprehension, Q9, LSATHacks

RC Question 9 Explanation, by LSATHacks

DISCUSSION: Here you’re asked to find an analogous situation to the relationship between the picaro and the trickster. What does the passage say about their relationship?

Paragraph 1 says the two characters have superficial similarities. Yet upon deeper examination, we find both characters are quite different (paragraphs 2 and 3). So look for an answer describing two things plausibly similar but actually quite different.

___________

1. This is wrong. First, the “it is clear” part is wrong, because on the surface level, the picaro shares similarities with the trickster. Many in the literary criticism field mistakenly thought the two characters were much the same! Also, we’re not talking about extremes versus moderates, we’re talking about looking more in depth into two characters.
2. CORRECT. Superficially, a panda looks like a bear, just like how the picaro seems to have similarities with the trickster at first glance. However, a deeper understanding would show that there are big differences and that pandas are more like raccoons (e.g. much like how trickster stories, are in fact moral lessons, not satires).

   (Incidentally, this answer’s analogy is wrong. Molecular studies have shown that pandas are in fact bears and not related to raccoons)

3. It was an error to describe the picaro as a trickster. By contrast, there is no error in calling a court decision a milestone! Metaphors are often appropriate. Eliminate.
4. So on the surface level, needles turning brown and falling off already indicates there’s a difference. There’s no need to venture into a deeper level to find the difference. The very core of evergreen trees is that they don’t lose their needles! Whereas the picaro and the trickster are at least superficially similar.
5. We’re not comparing the common weed to anything in this answer choice. We’re just describing it as “aggressive” using an adjective. The core of the passage was a comparison between the picaro and the trickster.

Hi, I'm Graeme Blake

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