LSAT Explanation PT 37, S2, Q15: Literary critic: The meaning of a

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the literary critic's argument? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Necessary Assumption question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's analyze the argument in the passage. The literary critic claims that the meaning of a literary work is fluid, allowing for multiple valid interpretations. These interpretations involve imposing meaning rather than discovering it, so they don't need to consider the writer's intentions. The conclusion is that any interpretation of a literary work tells more about the critic than about the writer.

To better illustrate this, let's use a simple example. Imagine a painting of a landscape. Different viewers might interpret the painting differently, focusing on the colors, the shapes, or the overall mood. These interpretations are not necessarily about the painter's intentions but rather the viewers' own perspectives and experiences. Thus, the interpretations reveal more about the viewers than the painter.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Do imposed meanings on a literary work reflect facts about the interpreter?"

Now, let's discuss the answer choices. This is a Necessary Assumption question, which means we're looking for an assumption that is required for the literary critic's argument to hold.

a) This answer choice is not necessary for the argument. It's possible that there are criteria to distinguish the validity of different interpretations, but the conclusion that interpretations reveal more about the critic than the writer could still be true.

b) This is the correct answer. It is necessary for the argument that an imposed meaning reflects facts about the interpreter (the critic). If this were not true, then the conclusion that interpretations tell more about the critic than the writer would not hold.

c) This answer choice is off track. The argument is about learning about the critic or the writer from imposed meanings, not about the relevance of a writer's intentions to a valid interpretation.

d) This answer choice is not necessary. Even if the true intentions of a writer could be known to a critic, the critic could still impose their own meaning on the work, and the interpretation could still reveal more about the critic than the writer.

e) This answer choice undermines the conclusion. If the deepest understanding of a literary work requires knowing the writer's history, then the interpretation would not necessarily tell more about the critic than the writer.

In conclusion, the correct answer is B, as it is a necessary assumption for the literary critic's argument to be valid. The other answer choices either do not support the argument or undermine it.