O Pioneers! is a 1913 novel by Willa Cather. In the novel, Cather depicts Alexandra Bergson as a person who...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
O Pioneers! is a 1913 novel by Willa Cather. In the novel, Cather depicts Alexandra Bergson as a person who takes comfort in understanding the world around her: ______
Which quotation from O Pioneers! most effectively illustrates the claim?
'She looked fixedly up the bleak street as if she were gathering her strength to face something, as if she were trying with all her might to grasp a situation which, no matter how painful, must be met and dealt with somehow.'
'She had never known before how much the country meant to her. The chirping of the insects down in the long grass had been like the sweetest music. She had felt as if her heart were hiding down there, somewhere, with the quail and the plover and all the little wild things that crooned or buzzed in the sun. Under the long shaggy ridges, she felt the future stirring.'
'Alexandra drove off alone. The rattle of her wagon was lost in the howling of the wind, but her lantern, held firmly between her feet, made a moving point of light along the highway, going deeper and deeper into the dark country.'
'Alexandra drew her shawl closer about her and stood leaning against the frame of the mill, looking at the stars which glittered so keenly through the frosty autumn air. She always loved to watch them, to think of their vastness and distance, and of their ordered march. It fortified her to reflect upon the great operations of nature, and when she thought of the law that lay behind them, she felt a sense of personal security.'
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'O Pioneers! is a 1913 novel by Willa Cather.' |
|
| 'In the novel, Cather depicts Alexandra Bergson as a person who takes comfort in understanding the world around her:' |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The passage claims that Alexandra Bergson finds comfort and solace by understanding the world around her.
Argument Flow: The setup provides basic context about the novel, then makes a specific characterization claim about Alexandra that needs textual evidence to support it.
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 correct quotation should show Alexandra in a moment where she gains comfort, peace, or strength by understanding something about the world around her
- We need to see both components: her seeking to understand something (natural phenomena, patterns, systems) and that understanding providing her with comfort or security
'She looked fixedly up the bleak street as if she were gathering her strength to face something, as if she were trying with all her might to grasp a situation which, no matter how painful, must be met and dealt with somehow.'
✗ Incorrect
- Shows Alexandra gathering strength to face a difficult situation
- Focuses on confronting something painful rather than finding comfort through understanding
- The strength comes from determination, not from understanding the world
'She had never known before how much the country meant to her. The chirping of the insects down in the long grass had been like the sweetest music. She had felt as if her heart were hiding down there, somewhere, with the quail and the plover and all the little wild things that crooned or buzzed in the sun. Under the long shaggy ridges, she felt the future stirring.'
✗ Incorrect
- Describes Alexandra's emotional connection to the country and nature
- Emphasizes feeling and emotional attachment rather than understanding
'Alexandra drove off alone. The rattle of her wagon was lost in the howling of the wind, but her lantern, held firmly between her feet, made a moving point of light along the highway, going deeper and deeper into the dark country.'
✗ Incorrect
- Shows Alexandra driving alone through dark country
- No evidence of understanding or gaining comfort from comprehension
- Simply describes her physical journey
'Alexandra drew her shawl closer about her and stood leaning against the frame of the mill, looking at the stars which glittered so keenly through the frosty autumn air. She always loved to watch them, to think of their vastness and distance, and of their ordered march. It fortified her to reflect upon the great operations of nature, and when she thought of the law that lay behind them, she felt a sense of personal security.'
✓ Correct
- Shows Alexandra watching stars and 'thinking of their vastness and distance, and of their ordered march'
- Demonstrates her reflecting on 'the great operations of nature' and 'the law that lay behind them'
- Explicitly states this reflection 'fortified her' and gave her 'a sense of personal security'
- Perfectly illustrates both understanding (comprehending natural laws and cosmic order) and comfort (fortification and security)