Published In 1952, Invisible Man Featured a Protagonist Whose Activities GMAT Reading Comprehension

Published in 1952, Invisible Man featured a protagonist whose activities enabled the novel’s author, Ralph Ellison, to explore and to blend themes specifically tied to the history and plight of African (5) Americans with themes, also explored by many European writers with whose works Ellison was familiar, about the fractured, evanescent quality of individual identity and character. For this thematic blend, Ellison received two related criticisms: that his (10) allegiance to the concerns of the individual prevented him from directing his art more toward the political action that critics believed was demanded by his era’s social and political state of affairs; and that his indulging in European fictional modes lessened his (15) contribution to the development of a distinctly African American novelistic style.

Ellison found these criticisms to voice a common demand, namely that writers should censor themselves and sacrifice their individuality for supposedly more (20) important political and cultural purposes. He replied that it demeans a people and its artists to suggest that a particular historical situation requires cultural segregation in the arts. Such a view characterizes all artists as incapable of seeing the world—with all its (25) subtleties and complications—in unique yet expressive ways, and it makes the narrow assumption that audiences are capable of viewing the world only from their own perspectives.

Models for understanding Invisible Man that may (30) be of more help than those employed by its critics can be found in Ellison’s own love for and celebration of jazz. Jazz has never closed itself off from other musical forms, and some jazz musicians have been able to take the European-influenced songs of U.S. theater and (35) transform them into musical pieces that are unique and personal but also expressive of African American culture. In like manner, Ellison avoided the mere recapitulation of existing literary forms as well as the constraints of artistic isolation by using his work to (40) explore and express the issues of identity and character that had so interested European writers.

Further, jazz, featuring solos that, however daring, remain rooted in the band’s rhythm section, provides a rich model for understanding the relationship of artist (45) to community and parallels the ways the protagonist's voice in Invisible Man is set within a wider communal context. Ellison’s explorations in the novel, often in the manner of loving caricature, of the ideas left him by both European and African American predecessors are (50) a form of homage to them and thus ameliorate the sense of alienation he expresses through the protagonist. And even though Invisible Man’s protagonist lives alone in a basement, Ellison proves that an individual whose unique voice is the result of (55) the transmutation of a cultural inheritance can never be completely cut off from the community.

Question 1: It can be inferred from the passage that the author most clearly holds which one of the following views?

(A) The possibility of successfully blending different cultural forms is demonstrated by jazz’s ability to incorporate European influences.
(B) The technique of blending the artistic concerns of two cultures could be an effective tool for social and political action.
(C) Due to the success of Invisible Man, Ellison was able to generate a renewed interest in and greater appreciation for jazz.
(D) The protagonist in Invisible Man illustrates the difficulty of combining the concerns of African Americans and concerns thought to be European in origin.
(E) Ellison’s literary technique, though effective, is unfortunately too esoteric and complex to generate a large audience.

Question 2: Based on the passage, Ellison’s critics would most likely have responded favorably to Invisible Man if it had

(A) created a positive effect on the social conditions of the time
(B) provided a historical record of the plight of African Americans
(C) contained a tribute to the political contributions of African American predecessors
(D) prompted a necessary and further separation of American literature from European literary style
(E) generated a large audience made up of individuals from many cultural backgrounds

Question 3: The expression “cultural segregation in the arts” (lines 22-23) most clearly refers to:

(A) a general tendency within the arts whereby certain images and themes recur within the works of certain cultures
(B) an obvious separation within the art community resulting from artists’ differing aesthetic principles
(C) the cultural isolation artists feel when they address issues of individual identity
(D) the cultural obstacles that affect an audience’s appreciation of art
(E) an expectation placed on an artist to uphold a specific cultural agenda in the creation of art

Question 4: The primary purpose of the third paragraph is to

(A) summarize the thematic concerns of an artist in relation to other artists within the discipline
(B) affirm the importance of two artistic disciplines in relation to cultural concerns
(C) identify the source of the thematic content of one artist’s work
(D) celebrate one artistic discipline by viewing it from the perspective of an artist from another discipline
(E) introduce a context within which the work of one artist may be more fully illuminated.

Question 5: Which one of the following statements about jazz is made in the passage?

(A) It is not accessible to a wide audience.
(B) It is the most complex of modern musical forms.
(C) It embraces other forms of music.
(D) It avoids political themes.
(E) It has influenced much of contemporary literature.

Question 6: It can be inferred from the passage that Ellison most clearly holds which one of the following views regarding an audience’s relationship to works of art?

(A) Audiences respond more favorably to art that has no political content.
(B) Groundless criticism of an artist’s work can hinder an audience’s reception of the work.
(C) Audiences have the capacity for empathy required to appreciate unique and expressive art.
(D) The most conscientious members of any audience are those who are aware of the specific techniques employed by the artist.
(E) Most audience members are bound by their cultural upbringing to view art from that cultural perspective.

Question 7: The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) make a case that a certain novelist is one of the most important novelists of the twentieth century
(B) demonstrate the value of using jazz as an illustration for further understanding the novels of a certain literary trend
(C) explain the relevance of a particular work and its protagonist to the political and social issues of the time
(D) defend the work of a certain novelist against criticism that it should have addressed political and social issues
(E) distinguish clearly between the value of art for art’s sake and art for purposes such as political agendas

Question 8: The passage provides information to answer each of the following questions EXCEPT:

(A) Did Ellison himself enjoy jazz?
(B) What themes in Invisible Man were influenced by themes prevalent in jazz?
(C) What was Ellison’s response to criticism concerning the thematic blend in Invisible Man?
(D) From what literary tradition did some of the ideas explored in Invisible Man come?
(E) What kind of music did some jazz musicians use in creating their works?

“Published in 1952, Invisible Man featured a protagonist whose activities”- is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension. This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 3 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

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