PT 42, RC #11: Lichtenstein Help! Forum

[freddie]

I decided not to select e), the correct answer for #11 of PT 42, because of the last two words of the answer: 'society's values.' Where in the passage does the author state or imply that Lichtenstein's work comments on society's values? The closest thing I can find in the passage is that his art was a reflection of the culture he inhabited, which is not the same thing.

Thanks in advance for the help!

[Atlas LSAT Teacher]

I love this passage. It's such a subtle main point.

You're right about the support for (E). I would also ad that line before it ""what was missing from contemporary painting was the depiction of contemporary life" also supports that answer, as we can infer that Lichtenstein's work does depict contemporary life.

Most importantly, the other answer choices are clearly wrong (the question does say "most in keeping...")

(A) why only a few objects on a table?
(B) stick figures?
(C) inner turmoil of the artist?
(D) vague shapes?

Does that clear it up?

[freddie]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. While I do see why the other answers are incorrect, I still do not see why e) is correct. The part of e) that is not meshing for me is commentary on society's values. As I mentioned in my previous post, I do not see where this is reflected in the passage.

Thanks again!

[Atlas LSAT Teacher]

Well, the quick and dirty answer is that it's the best answer -- and you can't expect for every answer to be actually a good one, particularly when the questions asks for the "most appropriate" or "most closely..." This is an inference question, so it's acceptable to take a small step away from the passage's direct text.

[freddie]

That is extremely helpful advice! I keep getting caught up on similar subtleties that seem to take the answer slightly beyond where I think a correct answer should be, given the information in the passage. By focusing on choosing the best answer, instead of the perfect answer, I can stop wasting time nit-picking every word!

Thanks so much.

[Atlas LSAT Teacher]

Awesome. Happy to help. - Noah