The Topic of Criminality in Andrew Blanchard’s Work is a Commonly Pursued One.

Reading Passage Question

The topic of criminality in Andrew Blanchard’s work is a commonly pursued one. Its richness lies as much within the thematic framework of Blanchard’s prose as it does within the author’s own scandalous

(5) life. Not surprisingly, scholars frequently examine Blanchard’s fictional world for clues that could reveal the “real” story of their author. While the verdict of such critiques traverses the entire spectrum of moral judgments, from wholehearted compassion to reluctant

(10) absolution and dismissive condemnation, they all share a certain smugness that prevents them from appreciating the poetic brilliance of their object de critique.

At the less commendable end of this critical spectrum is Mark Newman’s 1989 study titled, Andrew

(15) Blanchard: Biography of Deceit. In his book, Newman undertakes the formidable challenge of correcting and clarifying certain aspects of Blanchard’s biography. The study, a detective narrative in its own right, seeks to expose Blanchard not only as a petty thief, but also

(20) as a bad playwright. Newman holds no punches in condemning Blanchard’s plays as disturbing, distasteful, even disgusting. He even dislikes the playwright’s penchant for meta-theatre, arguing that only a highly skilled dramaturge can interweave multiple plays-

(25) within-a-play and still maintain a coherent narrative structure. The implication being, of course, that Blanchard was far from being a skilled dramaturge.

“The topic of criminality in Andrew Blanchard’s work is a commonly pursued one.”- 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, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) examine Blanchard’s fictional world for clues that could reveal his criminal past.
(B) clarify certain aspects of Blanchard’s biography.
(C) reject Blanchard’s critical reception as unappreciative of his creative genius.
(D) correct a common misconception regarding the work of a famous playwright.
(E) defend a playwright against accusations that may be factually incorrect

2. Which one of the following summarizes the main point of the passage?

(A) By judging Andrew Blanchard’s personal life rather than the quality of his work, critics fail to accord him the appreciation he deserves.
(B) Some of the themes that inhabit Andrew Blanchard’s fictional world are drawn from his criminal past.
(C) Mark Newman’s biography of Andrew Blanchard is well-informed, but the judgments it reaches are overly harsh.
(D) Andrew Blanchard’s fictional world provides a valuable insight into his personal life.
(E) Andrew Blanchard’s moral failings have prevented him from reaching his true artistic potential.

3. The author most likely uses the phrase “fictional world” (line 6) to refer to

(A) a body of work produced by an artist
(B) a true belief that something is objectively false
(C) an artistic concept
(D) a potentially deceptive work
(E) a body of work that has no relation to its author’s real life

4. It can be inferred from the passage that Mark Newman would be most likely to agree with each one of the following statements about the work of Andrew Blanchard, EXCEPT:

(A) It is written by someone with a criminal past.
(B) It is not the product of a highly skilled dramaturge.
(C) It requires correction and clarification.
(D) It can be offensive as well as incoherent.
(E) It makes an unsuccessful attempt at meta-theatre.

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