Reading Comprehension

PT153 · S1 · P4 · Q22 The Griot Of West Africa

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

Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one
Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step
81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

Passage A is adapted from a book by a music historian, and passage B from an anthropology journal.

Passage A

This author seems to introduce but then resist a comparison between griots and blues musicians, saying they have incredibly different sociological status.

The griot is the protector of the West African culture; they served a vital function in binding the community.

The blues musician reflects a lack of connection to community. They are alienated and unwanted. If there's any parallel at all, it would be that the pain expressed in blues music is the pain of being separated from the rich cultural history of West Africa via slavery.

The last paragraph distills what the author thinks is precious / special / essential about blues music: it tells incredibly small, personal sad stories as a way of silently acknowledging a big, communal sad story (slavery).

Passage B

This passage is just an informative discussion of griots. - lowest caste - most skilled when it came to spoken word - sung praises of their host family - tried to curry favor for their host family with the public - considered guardian of much of the cultural history and norms, and thus operated within the boundaries of cultural expectations

Similarities

Both passages cover griots, saying that the griots are important members of the West African community, heavily involved with the culture's norms and history.

Differences

Passage A is mainly about blues musicians. Passage B is only about griots.

Passage B's discussion of griots goes into much more depth.

22.

Which one of the following is a principal purpose of each passage?

to explain how a musical
Unsupported by Either Passage
Neither passage talks about griots replacing an official institution. Passage A's first paragraph says that "the griot's song-filled many of the roles that these institutions serve in other societies." Normally when we use the verb 'to replace,' we mean supplanting something. X was there, but then Y replaced it. However, this passage is talking about "X was never there; instead, Y served that role." That's different. It's also an incredibly tiny part of the passage, so it doesn't make sense to say it's one of the principal purposes of Passage A. Much easier is the fact that Passage B doesn't have any language about the griot tradition replacing official institutions.
3% picked this
to reveal the paradoxical nature
No Support Passage A
Passage A was just trying to say that "the blues tradition is importantly different from the griot tradition." Its two subsidiary purposes were (1) here is what the griot tradition is all about, and (2) here is what the blues tradition is all about. At no point is Passage A talking about a paradoxical relationship between a culture's values and griots/blues musicians.
17% picked this
to compare two closely related
No Support Passage B
Passage A would certainly not be cool with us calling the griot/blues traditions "closely related traditions," but Passage B doesn't even have a 2nd musical tradition in it, so let's use that as our primary way for killing this answer.
5% picked this
Correct
to explore the relationship between
Why this is right
This is certainly not language anyone would have chosen for themselves, but of all the answers, this seems to be the one we can best match to both passages. Passage A is saying that griots and blues musicians could hardly have "less in common from a sociological perspective," so it is definitely discussing the relationship between the musicians and society. Griots often enjoyed great status in their communities. Meanwhile, blues musicians made music often reflecting a lack of connection to the broader streams of society. Griots were respected keepers of culture. Blues musicians were marginalized people whose painful isolation infused their music. One of the primary ways that Passage A is contrasting griots and blues musicians is that the former had a privileged social standing and the latter were outcasts. Passage B begins right away with talking about the strata of a hierarchical society, so it delves into "social standing" right from the jump. Its treatment of the griot tradition highlights the unusual tension between the fact that griots were in the lowest caste and the fact that they were still a central, respected feature of public life.
Skill tested: Primary Purpose · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.
75% picked this
to criticize a characterization of
No Support Passage B
This answer would work well enough for Passage A, which criticizes the characterization of blues musicians as "an outgrowth of the griot tradition." But Passage B simply reports to us on what the griot tradition was like. It doesn't challenge anyone's characterization of anything.
1% picked this

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill

LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free