The following text is adapted from Herman Melville's 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is adapted from Herman Melville's 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.
Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savant's disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.
It presents an account of a misunderstanding.
It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.
It explains why one character dislikes another.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart banter, whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire." |
|
| "Great was the savant's disdain;" |
|
| "but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him," |
|
| "when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes," |
|
| "but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being informed that he was no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: An American scholar's dismissive first impression of someone at a party is completely overturned when he discovers the person is actually the distinguished Sir Humphry Davy.
Argument Flow: The passage follows a classic reversal structure. We start with the savant's confident negative judgment based on appearance and behavior, then watch that certainty crumble in stages.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text—what the author was trying to accomplish by telling this story.
What type of answer do we need? Main Point or Purpose (entire)
Any limiting keywords? Historical Literature, Text-only, Advanced Language Complexity
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage is fundamentally about someone being wrong about their initial judgment
- The savant makes assumptions about a person based on superficial observations, feels disdain, but then discovers his assessment was completely off-base
- The right answer should capture this core dynamic of misjudgment and correction
It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.
- This suggests the savant feels embarrassed about his own actions, but the passage doesn't show self-reflection or shame
It presents an account of a misunderstanding.
- Perfectly captures the passage's central dynamic of misunderstanding and revelation
It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.
- This would make Sir Humphry Davy the main focus, but the passage is told from the savant's perspective about his experience
It explains why one character dislikes another.
- While the savant initially dislikes the person, explaining that dislike isn't the passage's main goal