PrepTest 134, Section 4, Question 21
During Dostoyevsky's time there were two significant and(437 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(10 more words not shown)
- Aa fictionalized account(12 more words not shown)
- Ba novel in(12 more words not shown)
- Ca novel in(14 more words not shown)
- Dan autobiographical essay(11 more words not shown)
- Ea short story(11 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
Dostoyevsky tells us what artistic writing does: it expresses the novelist's thoughts through characters and images so that the reader understands those thoughts. I want successful communication, not just a serious subject or a good intention.
Working the answers
- A
The account illustrates the facts of illness, but that subject matter doesn't establish how well its characters or images convey the author's thoughts. Being based on interviews isn't his test of artistry.
- BCorrect
Giving the author's ideas substance through suitable characters and events matches his definition. The thoughts become something readers can grasp through the novel, rather than remaining an intention outside the writing.
- C
The author “attempted” to communicate a social criticism. Did the attempt succeed? A political purpose and a chosen technique don't establish the artistic result Dostoyevsky requires.
- D
Listing important events from a life doesn't tell us whether the writing successfully expresses the author's thoughts through its treatment of those events.
- E
Characters discussing social problems supply a topic, not evidence that the story successfully communicates the author's ideas. Those discussions could be well written or poorly written; E doesn't tell us.
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