PrepTest 158, Section 1, Question 10
Native American stories often feature a character called(472 more words not shown)
The author of the passage(24 more words not shown)
- Ademonstrate that the(8 more words not shown)
- Ballude to the(8 more words not shown)
- Ccontrast the role(8 more words not shown)
- Dillustrate how the(8 more words not shown)
- Eemphasize the disruptive,(5 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
A “foil” brings out a contrast. The picaro's open enjoyment makes society's hypocrisy stand out. But the trickster's flaws are its own; they're used to teach listeners about individual weaknesses.
What we’re looking for
Why tell us the trickster isn't a foil to a corrupt society? To separate its role from the picaro's. The sentence is doing the same work as the larger comparison: explaining why the shared label hides a real difference.
Working the answers
- A
The trickster is comic and has supernatural powers, but this sentence doesn't demonstrate those features. It tells us what the flaws aren't being used to expose.
- B
This reverses the relationship. The sentence highlights a difference in function: one character exposes society's hypocrisy; the other teaches through its own moral failings.
- CCorrect
The statement that the trickster's flaws do not highlight society's corruption directly contrasts with the earlier description of the picaro's authenticity as a foil to social hypocrisy (paragraph 3). The author is distinguishing the two characters' literary jobs.
- D
That's the function being denied here. The trickster's flaws aren't presented as an indirect criticism of a corrupt society in the way the picaro's behavior is.
- E
The trickster's antisocial character is discussed nearby, but this sentence's contrast is about what its flaws reveal. Focusing on disruptiveness leaves out the connection to the picaro that explains why the sentence appears here.
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