Using Art to Condemn the Moral Shortcomings of Society is Nothing New GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading Passage Question

Using art to condemn the moral shortcomings of society is nothing new. English artist William Hogarth (1697 1764) was renowned for prints that revealed the moral lapses of eighteenth-century England. Despite the fact that Hogarth enjoyed the patronage of Englands wealthier citizens, he did not shrink away from producing scathing depictions of all levels of English society.

In the ten-print series Industry and Idleness, Hogarth presents two apprentices who begin working side by side only to arrive at vastly different ends. The first apprentice is portrayed as a morally incorruptible, diligent worker. He is promoted, marries his boss' daughter, and achieves great distinction and financial success. The other apprentice does little work and engages in many unsavory activities. He is fired from his apprenticeship and continues down a path of illicit behavior and corruption. The series comes to a climax when the two former coworkers are reunited with the industrious apprentice now elevated to alderman standing in judgment of the idle coworker brought before him for murder. The idle apprentice is sentenced to death and executed, whereas the industrious apprentice goes on to become Lord Mayor of London. Among Hogarths most popular series was The Rake's Progress, which tells the story of wealthy Tom Rakewell. In the first of eight prints, Tom inherits a large sum of money that he foolishly spends on enhancing his image and prestige in superficial ways. His prodigal ways lead to his rapid decline as he is arrested for debt and in return marries an old maid for her money. He begins gambling, is imprisoned, and eventually goes insane in Bedlam. Toms descent and desperate outcome, like many of Hogarths subjects, is tied directly to moral corruption and poor self- discipline. It is interesting that Hogarth's prints were extremely popular in his day. Whatever the moral shortcomings of eighteenth-century England, its citizens welcomed Hogarths social critiques and harsh judgments.

“Using Art to Condemn the Moral Shortcomings of Society is Nothing New” is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates must have a solid grip in English GMAT reading comprehension. There are 4 multiple choice questions in the above GMAT Reading Comprehension passages. GMAT Reading Comprehension Questions are delineated to evaluate candidates’ abilities to analyze and be conceptual for the answers. Candidates can brace up and take preparation by answering GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. According to the passage, Hogarth's prints

1. portrayed many different kinds of moral corruption.
2. focused on the weak and disenfranchised.
3. were extremely controversial.
4. often offended his wealthy patrons.
5. are extremely valuable today.

2. The passage suggests that Hogarths work is important because

1. Hogarth developed the technique of story-telling through prints.
2. Hogarth defied authorities and convention by depicting the life of common criminals.
3. it reveals the hardships of life in eighteenth-century England.
4. it provides a critical view of the moral shortcomings of Hogarth’s society.
5. it demonstrates that art is an important medium for social change.

3. The description of Industry and Idleness suggests that

1. people in eighteenth-century England were too quick to judge each other.
2. the moral choices people make determine whether they will succeed or fail.
3. apprentices often engaged in immoral behavior in Hogarth’s time.
4. successful politicians are morally incorruptible.
5. the moral apprentice feels sorry for his former coworker.

4. Based on the passage, which of the following best expresses the main lesson of Hogarth's work?

1. If you are diligent and industrious, you will achieve great distinction.
2. Wealth leads to moral corruption.
3. Do not judge others until you have walked in their shoes.
4. Some people are born immoral and cannot be changed.
5. Wise choices and self-discipline can keep us from moral lapses.

Suggested GMAT Reading Comprehension Samples

• War has Escaped the Battlefield and Now Can, with Modern Guidance Systems on Missiles GMAT Reading Comprehension
• While “Give Me My Livelihood or Give Me Death” Could Never have been the Slogan GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Leading questions—questions worded in such away GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Fairy Tales Address Themselves To Two Communities, Each With Its Own GMAT Reading Comprehension
• The Cultural Revolution Of 1966 To 1976, Initiated By Communist Party GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Traditionally, Members of a Community such as a Town or Neighborhood GMAT Reading Comprehension
• The United States Supreme Court has not always resolved legal issues GMAT Reading Comprehension
• In 1963, a three-week-long demonstration for jobs at the construction site GMAT reading comprehension
• As is Well Known and has Often been Described, The Machine Industry GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Outside the Medical Profession, There are Various Efforts to Cut Medicine down to Size GMAT Reading Comprehension
• While It May Seem Simple and Unobjectionable to Non-Specialists GMAT Reading Comprehension
• When discussing Civil War-era narratives, critics almost invariably GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Some people maintain that the whole of medieval society can be explained GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto’s lasting contribution to economic theory GMAT Reading Comprehension
• In Journalism, “bias” is a Word with Many Meanings GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Angel DeCora, the best-known Native American artist in the United States GMAT Reading Comprehension
• In 1896 a Georgia Couple Suing for Damages in the Accidental Death GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Although Many May Argue with My Stress on the Continuity of the Essential GMAT Reading Comprehension
• In American Genesis, Which Covers the Century of Technological Innovation GMAT Reading Comprehension
• There is an Intriguing Note to the Current Call Upon Civil Rights Law to Help Remedy GMAT Reading Comprehension