LSAT Explanation PT 44, S2, Q18: Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula portrayed

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Necessary Assumption question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is D. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's analyze the argument in the passage. The passage states that many people assume that a vampire's ability to turn into a bat is an essential part of vampire myths due to Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. However, the argument claims that this assumption is false because vampire myths existed in Europe long before Stoker's book.

To help understand this, let's use a simple example: Imagine there's a popular story about a superhero who can fly and shoot lasers from their eyes. If people assume that all superheroes must have these powers because of this story, they would be incorrect. There have been superhero stories before this popular one that feature characters with different abilities, which shows that flying and laser-shooting are not essential to superhero myths.

Now, let's create an "Evaluate" question for this argument: "Did the European vampire myths that predated Stoker's book portray vampires as able to turn into bats?"

The question type for this problem is Necessary Assumption, which means we need to find an assumption that the argument depends on. Let's go through each answer choice:

a) This answer choice talks about the nocturnal nature of vampires and not their ability to turn into bats. While it might be interesting, it doesn't address the argument's main point, so it's not the correct answer.

b) This answer choice discusses vampire myths in Central and South America, which are not relevant to the argument about European vampire myths. It doesn't help us determine whether the ability to turn into bats is essential to European vampire myths, so it's not the correct answer.

c) The argument is focused on European vampire myths, so whether or not vampire myths existed outside of Europe before Dracula doesn't affect the argument's validity. This answer choice is not the correct one.

d) This is the correct answer choice. If at least one European vampire myth that predated Stoker's book did not portray vampires as able to turn into bats, it would support the argument's conclusion that the ability to turn into bats is not an essential part of vampire myths.

e) Whether or not Stoker was familiar with earlier European vampire myths doesn't directly affect the argument's conclusion. Even if he was familiar with them, it doesn't tell us whether the ability to turn into bats was essential to those myths. This answer choice is not the correct one.