'Mr. Cornelius Johnson, Office-Seeker' is a 1900 short story by Paul Laurence Dunbar. In the story, the narrator describes Mr....
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
'Mr. Cornelius Johnson, Office-Seeker' is a 1900 short story by Paul Laurence Dunbar. In the story, the narrator describes Mr. Cornelius Johnson's appearance as conveying his exaggerated sense of his importance: ______
Which quotation from 'Mr. Cornelius Johnson, Office-Seeker' most effectively illustrates the claim?
'He carried himself always as if he were passing under his own triumphal arch.'
'The grey Prince Albert was scrupulously buttoned about his form, and a shiny top hat replaced the felt of the afternoon.'
'It was a beautiful day in balmy May and the sun shone pleasantly on Mr. Cornelius Johnson's very spruce Prince Albert suit of grey as he alighted from the train in Washington.'
'Mr. Cornelius Johnson always spoke in a large and important tone.'
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Mr. Cornelius Johnson, Office-Seeker' is a 1900 short story by Paul Laurence Dunbar. |
|
| In the story, the narrator describes Mr. Cornelius Johnson's appearance as conveying his exaggerated sense of his importance: |
|
Provide Passage Architecture and Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
[CONTEXT: Story details] leads to [CLAIM: Johnson's appearance shows exaggerated self-importance] leads to [MISSING: Evidence to support this claim]
Main Point: The narrator in Dunbar's story portrays Mr. Cornelius Johnson's appearance as revealing his inflated sense of his own importance.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes the source and author, then presents a specific claim about how the character's appearance reflects his personality. The argument requires supporting evidence from the actual story text.
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
- It should describe something visual about how Johnson presents himself or carries himself
- It should suggest that his appearance reflects an inflated ego or sense of self-importance
- It should use language that shows he thinks more highly of himself than he should
'He carried himself always as if he were passing under his own triumphal arch.'
✓ Correct
- The metaphor of carrying himself 'as if he were passing under his own triumphal arch' perfectly captures exaggerated self-importance
- Triumphal arches were built for conquering heroes - comparing his everyday bearing to this shows inflated ego
- 'Carried himself' directly addresses his appearance/physical presence
'The grey Prince Albert was scrupulously buttoned about his form, and a shiny top hat replaced the felt of the afternoon.'
✗ Incorrect
- Describes his careful dressing but doesn't suggest exaggerated importance
- 'Scrupulously buttoned' and 'shiny top hat' show attention to appearance but not inflated ego
- Could describe anyone who dresses well
'It was a beautiful day in balmy May and the sun shone pleasantly on Mr. Cornelius Johnson's very spruce Prince Albert suit of grey as he alighted from the train in Washington.'
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on the pleasant day and his neat suit
- 'Very spruce' shows he's well-dressed but doesn't indicate excessive pride
- More about setting description than character revelation
'Mr. Cornelius Johnson always spoke in a large and important tone.'
✗ Incorrect
- Describes his speech ('large and important tone'), not his appearance
- The claim specifically mentions 'appearance' as what conveys his importance
- While it does show exaggerated importance, it's the wrong category of evidence