GMAT Reading Comprehension - ‘Women’s Literature’ Refers to Literature Written by Women.

Reading Passage Question

‘Women’s literature’ refers to literature written by women. This being so, it is easy to categorize members of this genre by gender, but that is not to say that the category really exists as an object of study. A zoologist could locate entries to the type, `brown fauna’: the doubt though is whether he could learn anything zoological by studying a family composed of brown bears and [brown] lizard. Are there literary qualities included in all works by women and precluded from all works by men? And the answer is no. Clearly, this demarcation of women’s literature by literary institutions thus has been degrading, and the teaching of women’s literature in English departments, a subversion of women’s liberation.

Trying to classify literature by sex is a self-defeating task. There are thoughts in the writings of Atticus Finch that can sound feminine, and then there are those in Dorris Lessing’s that can sound masculine. We may be prepared to admit rhetorically that no man could have written Jane Eyre and no woman James Bond, but truly, if we try to define what is specifically masculine or feminine about them, the task can only turn futile. Are women more interested in dress and domestic life? And are men more interested in war and public events? Perhaps, but then writers descend this level to a greater meaning in their writings. Infact, greater the writer, greater the capacity to transcend particularities.

The same can be true of literary characters. Looking at female characters separately has resulted in many false conclusions: “Do women have problems charting one’s identity?” Well, so is the case with almost all the heroes of the “Bildungsroman”. Do women end up choosing between personal life and career? So must the other sex….Are many women ruined by not being able to choose the man they love? So are many men forced to let go their chosen mates. Do the women get discouraged by double standards and stereotypes associated with them? Can we not see men suffering in the same manner? A writer is a writer. You care about writing. You sit down, you write, you are not a woman, or an American. You are a writer.” So, Focusing on the writer’s gender is inherently confining and directed at a reading that is biased, a thing that proponents of women’s literature fought to begin with.

“Women’s literature’ refers to literature written by women. This being so, it is easy to categorize members of this genre by gender.”- is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 4 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analysing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. Why does the author quote the example of Jane Eyre and James Bond?

1. To state that the writings of men and women are different in style and subject
2. To illustrate that his claim could have some exceptions
3. To show that it is harmful to differentiate literature based on gender
4. To highlight the differences that novels from two different eras may have
5. To compare the fiction written by men and women

2. Why does the author raise many questions in the third paragraph?

1. To show that there are many unresolved questions in the field of women’s literature
2. To point out the disputes in the Women’s literature
3. To highlight the mistake, we may make in trying to be gender specific in our studies
4. To voice the doubts that writers may have to answer before they descend into greater meaning in their writing
5. To point out that the issues faced by a female character may be very different to that of male character

3. The passage is primarily concerned with?

1. Reevaluate the role played by women’s literature in women’s liberation
2. Present different questions that can be faced by a student of women’s literature
3. Argue that it is unbecoming of academics to separate women’s literature
4. Examine how scholarly opinion towards feminism has changed over time
5. Showcase problems that may arise due to classification of women’s literature as a separate genre

4. The passage mentions each of the following as issues shared by male and female characters EXCEPT?

1. Being torn between the professional or personal life
2. Not being able to pursue the person of their desire
3. Finding it challenging to think like the opposite sex
4. Dismayed by the way society pigeonholes them
5. Striving to establish one’s identity

5. How is the passage organized as a whole?

1. The first paragraph raises issues inherent in an approach, the next three solve the problem
2. A thesis is stated in the first paragraph and revised in the second paragraph, and the revised thesis is supported with argument in the third and fourth paragraph.
3. A claim is made in the first paragraph, and the next paragraphs offer support for the claim
4. The first two paragraphs discuss and criticize a thesis, and the third paragraph presents an alternative thesis
5. The first paragraph expresses dismissal of an objection to the position it seeks to establish; the other paragraphs detail that position.

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