The Post Office is a 1912 play by Rabindranath Tagore, originally written in Bengali. The character Amal is a young...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
The Post Office is a 1912 play by Rabindranath Tagore, originally written in Bengali. The character Amal is a young boy who imagines that the people he sees passing the window of his home are carefree even when engaged in work or chores, as is evident when he says to the daughter of a flower seller, ______
Which quotation from The Post Office most effectively illustrates the claim?
'I see, you don't wish to stop; I don't care to stay on here either.'
'Oh, flower gathering? That is why your feet seem so glad and your anklets jingle so merrily as you walk.'
'I'll pay when I grow up—before I leave to look for work out on the other side of that stream there.'
'Wish I could be out too. Then I would pick some flowers for you from the very topmost branches right out of sight.'
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The Post Office is a 1912 play by Rabindranath Tagore, originally written in Bengali.' |
|
| 'The character Amal is a young boy who imagines that the people he sees passing the window of his home are carefree even when engaged in work or chores,' |
|
| 'as is evident when he says to the daughter of a flower seller, ______' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Amal has a unique perspective where he imagines people are carefree and happy even when they're doing work or chores.
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 show Amal speaking to the flower seller's daughter, reference her doing some kind of work (flower-related activities), and most importantly, show Amal commenting on her seeming happy, glad, or carefree while doing this work.
'I see, you don't wish to stop; I don't care to stay on here either.'
✗ Incorrect
- Shows mutual disinterest in stopping/staying
- Doesn't reference any work or chores being done
- Shows no indication of someone appearing carefree while working
'Oh, flower gathering? That is why your feet seem so glad and your anklets jingle so merrily as you walk.'
✓ Correct
- Shows Amal directly addressing the flower gathering (work/chores)
- Uses 'glad' and 'merrily' to describe how her feet and anklets seem while she works
- Perfectly demonstrates his tendency to see joy and carefreeness in people doing work
'I'll pay when I grow up—before I leave to look for work out on the other side of that stream there.'
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on future payment and future work plans
- Doesn't show observation of someone currently appearing carefree while working
'Wish I could be out too. Then I would pick some flowers for you from the very topmost branches right out of sight.'
✗ Incorrect
- Shows Amal's own wishes to help with flower picking
- Doesn't demonstrate him observing someone else being carefree while working