PrepTest 136, Section 3, Question 3
Many critics agree that the primary characteristic of(452 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(18 more words not shown)
- ASeveral African novelists(26 more words not shown)
- BFolklorists who have(26 more words not shown)
- CWhen he trained(27 more words not shown)
- DVery few filmmakers(14 more words not shown)
- EBinary oppositions do(21 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
The last sentence identifies the likely source of Sembène's binary oppositions—contrasts such as poverty versus wealth. The author says West African storytelling is probably more responsible for that technique than Marxist ideology.
What we’re looking for
To strengthen that claim, look for evidence connecting the technique to the storytelling tradition independently of Marxism. It would help to see other artists drawing on that tradition and using the same contrasts without a Marxist influence.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
These novelists use West African oral traditions and structure their stories around binary oppositions even though they haven't read Marxist theory. That supplies a concrete reason to think the tradition itself can account for the technique. It supports the proposed source without needing to prove Sembène had no Marxist influence at all.
- B
Widespread use in traditions around the world doesn't distinguish the two proposed influences on Sembène. The technique's general availability isn't specific evidence that his use owes more to West African storytelling.
- C
This says he tried to combine the two influences. It doesn't single out binary oppositions or show that the oral tradition contributed them more than Marxism did.
- D
The rarity of a technique among European or North American filmmakers doesn't tell us which influence produced it in Sembène's work.
- E
Some Marxist filmmakers' nonuse shows the technique isn't universal among them. But an influence needn't appear in every work it inspires. This offers much less support for the specific West African source than A's positive examples do.
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