PrepTest 128, Section 2, Question 15
H. G. Wells's great dramatic novel The Time(57 more words not shown)
The argument's conclusion follows logically(8 more words not shown)
- AAll novels that(7 more words not shown)
- BNovels can always(6 more words not shown)
- CA work of(10 more words not shown)
- DThe most important(11 more words not shown)
- EA dramatic novel(12 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
What determines whether a novel is science fiction? The author rejects the classification of The Time Machine because its compelling characters draw us into their plight. But why would that feature rule out science fiction?
Saying science fiction 'generally lacks' compelling characters leaves room for exceptions. A science fiction novel could have unusually strong characters. And could a book be both a great dramatic novel and science fiction? Think of the question we might ask about a book such as Dune: why assume drama and science fiction must be separate categories?
What we’re looking for
We need a rule that makes the author's conclusion follow. One possibility would be a rule excluding any novel with compelling characters from science fiction. Another would separate great dramatic novels from science fiction. Either way, we need to get from something stated about this book to the conclusion that the science fiction label is inappropriate. Simply calling the book good won't do that.
Working the answers
- A
This gets us from compelling characters to a great dramatic novel. But we already know from the opening sentence that The Time Machine is a great dramatic novel. Unless that classification excludes science fiction, the book could still be both. A stops before the connection we need.
- B
Saying novels can be clearly classified doesn't tell us which classification is correct for this book. Distinct genres can still overlap: a book could clearly belong to both a dramatic category and science fiction. B never gives the exclusion rule that would make this book's science fiction classification inappropriate.
- C
Read the whole condition: science fiction cannot achieve greatness unless it has compelling characters. This book does have compelling characters, so C doesn't disqualify it from being great science fiction. The rule supplies a requirement for greatness within science fiction, not a rule excluding great dramatic novels from that genre.
- D
The quality of a novel and its genre are different questions. Characters could be the most important determinant of quality while a novel with excellent characters remained science fiction. D doesn't establish that the classification is inappropriate.
- ECorrect
This uses the fact given in the very first sentence: The Time Machine is a great dramatic novel. E says a dramatic novel cannot both be great and be science fiction. Applying that rule to the book excludes it from science fiction and proves the author's conclusion. We don't even need to settle how its compelling characters affect its classification once this rule is added.
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