Jackie Ormes's Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem (1937–38) was the first comic strip by a Black woman to appear...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Jackie Ormes's Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem (1937–38) was the first comic strip by a Black woman to appear in a widely read newspaper. The strip tells the story of Torchy, a young woman who leaves Mississippi to become a performer in New York City. Torchy's story reflects the experience of the Great Migration (1910–1970), when millions of Black Americans left the South in search of opportunities in other parts of the United States. Torchy Brown thus shows how Ormes used comics to comment humorously on issues affecting Black Americans, which she continued to do throughout her career.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To show how Ormes's Torchy Brown inspired other Black women to write comic strips in the 1930s
To illustrate how the subjects Ormes addressed in her comic strips changed over the course of her career
To give an example of how Ormes presented the experiences of Black Americans in her comic strips
To claim that several characters in Torchy Brown were based on people that Ormes knew personally
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Jackie Ormes's Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem (1937–38) was the first comic strip by a Black woman to appear in a widely read newspaper." |
|
| "The strip tells the story of Torchy, a young woman who leaves Mississippi to become a performer in New York City." |
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| "Torchy's story reflects the experience of the Great Migration (1910–1970), when millions of Black Americans left the South in search of opportunities in other parts of the United States." |
|
| "Torchy Brown thus shows how Ormes used comics to comment humorously on issues affecting Black Americans, which she continued to do throughout her career." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The text uses Torchy Brown as an example to show how Jackie Ormes used comic strips to comment on issues affecting Black Americans.
Argument Flow: The passage starts by establishing Ormes's historical significance, then describes one specific comic strip's plot, connects that plot to a major historical movement (the Great Migration), and finally uses this connection to illustrate Ormes's broader artistic approach of addressing Black American experiences through her comics.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text
What type of answer do we need? The primary function or goal the author had in writing this passage
Any limiting keywords? "main purpose" - we need the central, overarching reason for the text, not a secondary point
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage follows a clear pattern: it introduces Ormes, describes one specific comic strip, connects that strip to historical context, and then uses all of this to make a point about Ormes's approach to her art
- The right answer should capture this "using a specific example to illustrate a broader point" structure
Key elements the correct answer must have:
- Recognition that this is about demonstrating or illustrating something about Ormes
- Focus on how Ormes addressed Black American experiences in her work
- Understanding that Torchy Brown serves as an example, not the sole focus
To show how Ormes's Torchy Brown inspired other Black women to write comic strips in the 1930s
- Claims the text is about inspiring other Black women to write comics
- The passage never mentions other comic strip creators or discusses inspiration
To illustrate how the subjects Ormes addressed in her comic strips changed over the course of her career
- Suggests the text shows how Ormes's subjects changed over her career
- The passage only discusses one comic strip and briefly mentions her career continued in the same vein
To give an example of how Ormes presented the experiences of Black Americans in her comic strips
- States the text gives an example of how Ormes presented Black American experiences
- Perfectly matches our analysis: Torchy Brown serves as the example, and the Great Migration connection shows how she presented Black experiences
To claim that several characters in Torchy Brown were based on people that Ormes knew personally
- Claims the text argues that Torchy Brown characters were based on real people Ormes knew
- The passage never discusses the real-life inspiration for characters