The following text is adapted from Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto's 1925 memoir A Daughter of the Samurai. As a young woman,...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is adapted from Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto's 1925 memoir A Daughter of the Samurai. As a young woman, Sugimoto moved from feudal Japan to the United States. The standards of my own and my adopted country differed so widely in some ways, and my love for both lands was so sincere, that sometimes I had an odd feeling of standing upon a cloud in space, and gazing with measuring eyes upon two separate worlds. At first I was continually trying to explain, by Japanese standards, all the queer things that came every day before my surprised eyes; for no one seemed to know the origin or significance of even the most familiar customs, nor why they existed and were followed.
Which choice best describes the main purpose of the text?
To convey the narrator's experience of observing and making sense of differences between two cultures she embraces
To establish the narrator's hope of forming connections with new companions by sharing customs she learned as a child
To reveal the narrator's recognition that she is hesitant to ask questions about certain aspects of a culture she is newly encountering
To emphasize the narrator's wonder at discovering that the physical distance between two countries is greater than she had expected
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The standards of my own and my adopted country differed so widely in some ways, and my love for both lands was so sincere,' |
|
| 'that sometimes I had an odd feeling of standing upon a cloud in space, and gazing with measuring eyes upon two separate worlds.' |
|
| 'At first I was continually trying to explain, by Japanese standards, all the queer things that came every day before my surprised eyes;' |
|
| 'for no one seemed to know the origin or significance of even the most familiar customs, nor why they existed and were followed.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The narrator describes her unique perspective of trying to understand and make sense of the cultural differences between Japan and America, which she experiences as standing between two worlds.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that the narrator loves both countries despite their vast differences, then uses a metaphor to show her detached, analytical perspective on both cultures. It concludes by explaining her specific experience of trying to apply Japanese understanding to American customs.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
- What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text
- What type of answer do we need? A statement about what the passage as a whole is trying to accomplish
- Any limiting keywords? 'Main purpose' means we need the central goal, not a minor detail
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage is fundamentally about the narrator's experience of being caught between two cultures
- The key elements should be: Her position as someone experiencing both cultures, Her active process of observing and analyzing differences, The challenge of making sense of cultural contrasts
- The metaphor of standing on a cloud 'gazing with measuring eyes' is crucial - she's actively studying and trying to understand
To convey the narrator's experience of observing and making sense of differences between two cultures she embraces
- Matches the central metaphor of 'gazing with measuring eyes upon two separate worlds'
- Captures both the observing aspect and the sense-making aspect
- Acknowledges that she 'embraces' both cultures, which aligns with her 'sincere love for both lands'
To establish the narrator's hope of forming connections with new companions by sharing customs she learned as a child
- Focuses on 'forming connections with new companions' but the passage doesn't mention other people or relationships
- Emphasizes sharing customs but the passage is about her trying to understand American customs
To reveal the narrator's recognition that she is hesitant to ask questions about certain aspects of a culture she is newly encountering
- Suggests she's 'hesitant to ask questions' but there's no evidence of hesitation in the passage
- She's actively trying to explain things, which suggests engagement, not reluctance
To emphasize the narrator's wonder at discovering that the physical distance between two countries is greater than she had expected
- Focuses on 'physical distance between two countries' but the passage is about cultural differences, not geography
- Completely misses the cultural analysis that dominates the passage