Q4

[Yu440]

Hello,

I had difficulty eliminating answer choices A and C in this question. I ultimately chose B, which was correct. My basis was that "nostalgic" goes well with "traditional art" (line 25) and reference to Aztecs as past rulers. "Idealistic" matches with the idea that "Mexicanidad" depicts Kahlo's ideal of Mexico.

However, A and C both sound plausible to me too...

Is A wrong because of "escapist"? Is it because the Aztecs was a society that actually existed and revered by Kahlo, and not some kind of escapist fantasy?

Is C wrong because of similar reasons?

Thanks!

[ohthatpatrick]

Whenever they ask us about a word in context, there's always going to be at least on trap answer that plays off the dictionary definition of "romantic".

We need the contextual usage, and this 2nd paragraph was talking about a revived interest in Mexico's culture. People were either looking back to Mexican Indians or WAY back to Aztec Mexico as a way of rebelling against Spain and the U.S.

Mexican nationalism is defined as "reacting against contemporary US intervention and past domination by Spain". This nationalism is "don't rule us or interfere with us".

Kahlo's form of "romantic" nationalism is defined as "using traditional art to unite all these people looking into Mexico's past / revering the Aztecs".

Here, I think "romantic" is being used more in the sense of "to romanticize" ... "to use rose-colored glasses when considering something".

A lot of kids hate their first experience at camp while they're there, but later they miss camp and romanticize that it was the best time they ever had.

(A) there's no synonym in passage for dreamy or escapist. There's probably some escapism inherent in thinking fondly about the distant past, but "dreamy" makes it sound to much like the "high school crush" definition of "romantic".

(B) Nostalgic certainly matches all the content in P2 about looking back on Mexico's distant past. "Idealistic" matches semi-well with the goal of "using art to unite all people". It also matches with 26-30, in which her romantic nationalism reveres Aztecs based in part on their Marxist ideals.

(C) "fanciful" is just like "dreamy". "Imaginative" is somewhat fair, since when we romanticize the past we tend to imagine it was better than it was. But the pair of "fanciful and imaginative" sounds like a dreamy artist. Meanwhile, the passage is trying to emphasize Kahlo's political angle, so the tie-in of (B)'s adjectives has much more to do with Kahlo's political feelings about past/present Mexican governments.

(D) It's hard to match anything up with either of these adjectives.

(E) Overwrought? Can't match that. And "sentimental" sounds like one of those trap answers that flies too close to the dictionary definition of "romantic".

Hope this helps.

[Yu440]

Thanks! Very helpful!