While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:Literary scholars have examined the narrative techniques in Virginia Woolf's...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Literary scholars have examined the narrative techniques in Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway."
- Early critics focused on Woolf's stream-of-consciousness style and its psychological realism.
- Feminist scholars later highlighted how the novel explores women's inner lives and societal constraints.
- Recent digital humanities research has analyzed the novel's temporal structure and time-consciousness themes.
- Postcolonial critics have also examined how the novel reflects British imperial attitudes and class dynamics.
- These multiple analytical approaches have collectively enriched understanding of the work's complexity.
The student wants to show how various critical approaches have contributed to understanding the novel. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Early critics focused on stream-of-consciousness style, while feminist scholars highlighted the exploration of women's inner lives.
Recent digital humanities research has analyzed temporal structure, and postcolonial critics have examined imperial attitudes.
Literary scholars have used multiple approaches-from early psychological realism studies to recent digital and postcolonial analysis-to collectively enrich understanding of the novel's complexity.
Feminist scholars highlighted women's inner lives and societal constraints in their analysis of Virginia Woolf's narrative techniques.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Literary scholars have examined the narrative techniques in Virginia Woolf's 'Mrs. Dalloway.'" |
|
| "Early critics focused on Woolf's stream-of-consciousness style and its psychological realism." |
|
| "Feminist scholars later highlighted how the novel explores women's inner lives and societal constraints." |
|
| "Recent digital humanities research has analyzed the novel's temporal structure and time-consciousness themes." |
|
| "Postcolonial critics have also examined how the novel reflects British imperial attitudes and class dynamics." |
|
| "These multiple analytical approaches have collectively enriched understanding of the work's complexity." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Multiple critical approaches over time have collectively enriched our understanding of Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway and its complexity.
Argument Flow: The notes begin by establishing that literary scholars have examined Mrs. Dalloway's narrative techniques. They then chronologically present different critical approaches—from early critics focusing on psychological elements, to feminist analysis of women's experiences, to recent digital humanities work on temporal themes, and postcolonial examination of imperial themes. The progression concludes by emphasizing how these diverse approaches have worked together to deepen understanding of the novel's complexity.
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
- The right answer should mention multiple critical approaches, not just one or two, since the goal specifies "various approaches"
- Show how these approaches have contributed to or enhanced understanding of the novel
- Capture the collaborative/collective nature mentioned in the final note—that these approaches work together
Early critics focused on stream-of-consciousness style, while feminist scholars highlighted the exploration of women's inner lives.
✗ Incorrect
- Only mentions two approaches (early critics and feminist scholars)
- While it accurately represents these approaches, it fails to capture the "various" approaches mentioned in the student's goal
- Missing the recent digital humanities and postcolonial approaches entirely
Recent digital humanities research has analyzed temporal structure, and postcolonial critics have examined imperial attitudes.
✗ Incorrect
- Only mentions two approaches (digital humanities and postcolonial critics)
- Focuses on the more recent approaches while ignoring the earlier ones
- Doesn't show the full range of "various approaches" needed for the goal
Literary scholars have used multiple approaches-from early psychological realism studies to recent digital and postcolonial analysis-to collectively enrich understanding of the novel's complexity.
✓ Correct
- Explicitly mentions "multiple approaches" which directly matches the "various approaches" goal
- Shows the chronological range from early psychological realism studies to recent digital and postcolonial analysis
- Includes the key word "collectively" which echoes the notes' final point about collective enrichment
- Demonstrates how these approaches "enrich understanding of the novel's complexity"
Feminist scholars highlighted women's inner lives and societal constraints in their analysis of Virginia Woolf's narrative techniques.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses only on feminist scholars, making it too narrow for the "various approaches" goal
- While it accurately describes the feminist approach, it completely ignores the other critical methods