PrepTest 132, Section 3, Question 3
The work of South African writer Ezekiel Mphahlele(453 more words not shown)
The author uses the phrase(23 more words not shown)
- Athe critic believes(16 more words not shown)
- Bthe comment is(12 more words not shown)
- Cthe requirement of(15 more words not shown)
- Dthe requirements for(21 more words not shown)
- Ethe requirements for(24 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
The comment sounds like a compliment with a condition attached: if these qualities alone made a masterpiece, the novel might be one. I read that as backhanded praise. It can acknowledge strengths while implying the work still falls short.
What we’re looking for
Now we need the answer that explains that negative implication, not merely another criticism someone might make.
Working the answers
- A
Mphahlele's attitude toward genre boundaries is discussed elsewhere. The negative implication in this comment concerns the novel's literary greatness.
- B
A comment could be one-sided without containing this particular implied criticism. The phrase isn't about giving Mphahlele an equal chance to respond; it's about what the apparent compliment suggests.
- C
Firsthand experience is one of the listed qualities, but the author doesn't say it directly contradicts the requirements of fiction. That's a different criticism.
- D
The author isn't claiming that the listed standards have little bearing on great literature. The implication is that they aren't enough by themselves.
- ECorrect
The conditional praise suggests additional requirements that the novel may not meet. That's how a comment crediting anger, experience, compassion, and topicality can still imply that the work isn't great literature. It needn't mean that the critic thinks every aspect of the writing is bad.
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