Q17

[gawker]

Requesting a complete explanation for Q17. I was stuck between D and E. How does D discuss he strengths and weaknesses in a trend of acholarship?

[ohthatpatrick]

If we were prephrasing an answer, we might say something like
"Psg A talks about gender studies being a new trend, and Psg B kinda sounds like a gender study discussion of ancient Rome".

(A) "endorses"? Psg A definitely has misgivings about the trend, and those misgivings would potentially apply to psg B.

(B) The first passage "criticizes" the second passage? That makes it sound like Passage A is specifically aware of Psg B, and we have nothing in the text to support that idea.

(C) They can't be similar in analysis given how different their aim/topic is.
Psg A is analyzing a trend in the study of history and draws a conclusion about what this new trend may be obscuring.
Psg B is analyzing the familial rhetoric of Augustus in ancient Rome. How would the author of A be drawing a similar conclusion on the basis of similar evidence.

(D) This gets at the distant relationship: Psg A is talking about a trend in scholarship (gender studies). Psg B is an example of that trend (gender study of ancient Rome).

(E) This is a more winnable version of (C). It's saying the argument lines up, even though we're using different frames of evidence. But the arguments aren't parallel.

Psg A's argument is that a new trend may have some benefits but some drawbacks.
Psg B's argument is that a certain family-metaphor (with its traditional gender roles) was used importantly during Augustus's rule.

Psg B never discusses some benefits but some drawbacks.

(D) is the correct answer.
(the part in D about 'strengths' comes from 17-18 and 24-26. the part about weaknesses comes from 28-32)