Reading ComprehensionDifficulty: Easy

PT128 S1 P1 Q1 Explanation

Mexican American Literature

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Reading Comprehension question.

TopicsMain PointHumanities

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Passage

One of the most prominent characteristics of the literature by United States citizens of Mexican descent is that it is frequently written in a combination of English and Spanish. By not limiting itself to one language, such writing resonates with its authors' bicultural experiences. Their work is largely Mexican in its sensibility, in Mexican culture, it distinguishes itself from Mexican literature in its content and concerns.

Many Mexican Americans are only a generation away from the mostly agrarian culture of their ancestors, and the work of most Mexican American writers shows evidence of heavy influence from this culture. Their novels are often simple in structure, and some of the common themes in these novels include the struggle to values of the characters' culture, such as the spiritual and religious benefits of working the land.

Much of Mexican writing, on the other hand, has been criticized for being dominated by the prominent literary establishment concentrated in Mexico City. Literary reputation and success in Mexico—including the attainment of publicly sponsored positions in the arts—are often bestowed or denied by this literary establishment. Moreover, the work of Mexican writers of what this community sees as parochial concerns belies the thematic richness of Mexican American writing.

The work of Mexican American writers can be richly textured in its complex mixture of concerns; among other things, their work is distinguished by an overarching concern with the complexities of cultural transition. Many Mexican American writers assert that rather than working to be absorbed into U.S. society, they are engaged in borderland in which nostalgia and reality are combined in the service of forging a new identity.

What this question is testing

Main Point

Your task

Capture the passage's overall primary point — the claim everything else supports.

Common trap

Answers that are true but too narrow (a single paragraph) or too broad (beyond the passage's scope).

Winning move

Summarize the whole passage in one sentence first, then match it to a choice.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
1.

Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of

Answer choices

  1. Unsupported - Term Shift4% picked this

    Mexican American literature is characterized by a strong sense of transition, which is due to its writers' physical distance from Mexico and their clear

    Mexican American literature does not have a clear vision of the future of Mexican culture but rather Mexican American culture.

  2. Too Strong3% picked this

    Unlike Mexican writing, which is largely tied to an urban literary establishment, Mexican American writing is a movement that attempts through its works to

    Mexican American writers are not trying to give voice to agrarian workers but are influenced by their agrarian heritage.

  3. Correct89% picked this

    The work of Mexican American writers reflects Mexican Americans' bicultural experiences, both in its close links with the culture of rural Mexico and in

    Why this is right

    This answer paraphrases the collective purpose of the highlighted parts of the passage in the first, second, and fourth paragraphs.

    Skill tested: Main Point · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

  4. Unsupported2% picked this

    Mexican American literature, although unique in its content and concerns as well as in its stylistic innovations, has not yet achieved the

    The passage does not discuss “stylistic innovations” nor does it rank Mexican American literature against Mexican literature in terms of prominence and reputation.

  5. Too Narrow2% picked this

    Many Mexican Americans are only a generation away from the culture of their ancestors and because of this, Mexican American literature is distinguished by

    The main point is larger than the use of spiritual images in Mexican American literature. It should reflect the effort of Mexican Americans to create a new identity that is grounded in Mexican culture but experienced inside the United States.

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