Frederick Douglass wrote extensively about social consciousness in 19th-century America. In his 1852 speech "What to the Slave is the...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Frederick Douglass wrote extensively about social consciousness in 19th-century America. In his 1852 speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?", Douglass suggests that many Americans remain blind to the moral contradictions in their society, declaring, ______
Which quotation from Douglass's speech most effectively illustrates the claim?
"America's founding principles of liberty and justice represent humanity's greatest political achievements."
"The wealth and prosperity of this nation have been built upon foundations that its citizens prefer not to examine."
"Your celebration of freedom mocks the chains that bind millions of your countrymen, yet you refuse to see this contradiction that lies at the very heart of your national identity."
"I have witnessed firsthand the brutality of slavery and can testify to truths that others choose to ignore."
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Frederick Douglass wrote extensively about social consciousness in 19th-century America." |
|
| "In his 1852 speech 'What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?', Douglass suggests that many Americans remain blind to the moral contradictions in their society" |
|
| "declaring, ________" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map: CONTEXT: Douglass as social consciousness writer leads to MAIN CLAIM: Americans blind to moral contradictions leads to MISSING EVIDENCE: Douglass's actual words supporting this claim
Main Point: Douglass believed many Americans couldn't see the moral contradictions present in their society.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Douglass as a writer focused on social issues, then presents his specific claim about American moral blindness, leading to a missing quotation that would demonstrate this point.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Show Americans not recognizing moral contradictions
- Relate to moral issues in society (likely slavery vs. freedom ideals)
- Directly demonstrate the "blindness" Douglass describes
- Explicitly point out the contradiction Americans refuse to see
"America's founding principles of liberty and justice represent humanity's greatest political achievements."
✗ Incorrect
- This celebrates America's principles without acknowledging any contradictions
- Shows praise, not blindness to problems
"The wealth and prosperity of this nation have been built upon foundations that its citizens prefer not to examine."
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests Americans avoid examining foundations, which hints at avoidance but doesn't explicitly show moral contradictions or blindness to them
"Your celebration of freedom mocks the chains that bind millions of your countrymen, yet you refuse to see this contradiction that lies at the very heart of your national identity."
✓ Correct
- Directly points out the contradiction between celebrating freedom while slavery exists
- Explicitly states "you refuse to see this contradiction" - perfect match for "blind to moral contradictions"
- Uses "mocks" to show how the celebration contradicts reality
"I have witnessed firsthand the brutality of slavery and can testify to truths that others choose to ignore."
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on Douglass's personal witness to slavery
- Doesn't demonstrate Americans being blind to contradictions