It can be inferred that both authors would be most likely to regard which one of the following as exemplifying Cather...

Ravi on February 25, 2019

@Shiyi-Zhang,

Happy to help.

The question says, "It can be inferred that both authors would be most
likely to regard which one of the following as exemplifying Cather’s
narrative technique?"

In the passage, both of the authors discuss Cather's impressionistic
writing style, so we are looking for an answer choice that
demonstrates this impressionistic style. From the passage, we know
that Cather's impressionistic style is bold, stylized, simple, and is
also used to illustrate a bigger truth about a character. These are
the hallmarks of his style, and these are the things we're looking for
in the answer choice we select. We don't want too much detail, nor do
we want answers that tell us about the thoughts of the character
because Cather did not do this in his impressionistic style.

(C) says, "A description of a slightly quivering drink in the hand of
a character at a dinner party is used to suggest that the character is
timid."

(C) describes a subtle but important detail ("slightly quivering drink
in the hand") that is presenting us the phenomenon itself (line 13),
and this small but very important detail is used to show us the truth
of the character being described. This detail tells us that the
character is really timid. The shaking hand suggests that the
character is timid, and this is spot on with Cather's impressionistic
technique. As a result, it matches up well with what Cather's
impressionistic technique is, so this is the correct answer choice.

Does this make sense? Let us know if you have any more questions!

zgnewquist on September 12, 2019

Thank you, that was a very helpful review! As for A, why was that choice incorrect?

Skylar on September 21, 2019

@zgnewquist Happy to help.

Although it is initally appealing, answer choice A is incorrect because, when compared with answer choice C, it does not have to do as directly with the character's behavior/actions nor the character's emotions. Instead of referring to an action (hand shaking) to describe a feeling (timid), it refers to possessions (living room furniture/decor) to describe a state (wealthy). Moreover, a "meticulous inventory" of the possessions suggests a level of detail that is not consistent with the "importance of selection and simplification" emphasized in the passage.

Does this make sense? Please let us know if you'd like any more clarification!

Shula on October 10, 2023

Hi Skylar, thank you so much for your clarification! Could you explain why E is incorrect? That would be super helpful!

Emil-Kunkin on October 13, 2023

I think the main issue with e is that I really can't support it in A. I think the thematic element of B is reflected in E, but I'm just not seeing the connection to the first passage. Additionally, I think the detailed description might conflict with her generally impressionistic approach.