Concetta: Franchot was a great writer because she was ahead of her time in understanding that industrialization was t...

Mehran on August 21, 2018

Hi @smilde11, thanks for your post. This is an Argument Exchange / Point at Issue question. In the stimulus, two people disagree about a specific point. What is that?

Well, Concetta concludes that Franchot "was a great writer." Why? "Because she was ahead of her time in understanding that industrialization was taking an unconscionable toll on the family structure of the working class."

Alicia disagrees; her conclusion is that "Franchot was not a great writer." For Alicia, the mark of a great writer is "not the ability to be among the first to grasp a social issue." In other words, Alicia rejects Concetta's criterion for being "a great writer." Also, says Alicia, Franchot wasn't even "ahead of her time" - "the social consequences of industrialization," says Alicia, "were widely understood in Franchot's day." Thus, Alicia not only rejects Concetta's criterion, but Alicia also disputes one of Concetta's specific claims (namely, that Franchot was "ahead of her time").

This is why C is correct.

Answer choice D is incorrect because, although Alicia does present an alternative criterion for being a great writer ("the ability to move people with the power of the written word"), she doesn't actually present any facts in support of that alternative criterion.

Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any additional questions.