Q9

[RiaK633]

I picked C on this question. Scorn seems like an extremely strong word to use for what Arnold actually says about these classes. Based on lines 39-44 it seems like he is simply identifying them as Barbarians and obsessed rather than saying that these qualities are necessarily 'bad'. I dismissed E because of incorrect degree. I would appreciate clarification on how we can validly make the leap to scorn. Thanks!

[ohthatpatrick]

Question Type:
Non-Author Opinion

Answer expected in lines/paragraph:
34 - 44

Any prephrase?
The lead-in to Arnold is that the upper and middle classes didn't necessary have good taste (as it pertains to art). Arnold calls the upper classes Barbarians (ouch -- primitive beasts, not sophisticated art lovers) and calls the middle classes "obsessed Philistines" (ouch -- Philistines is an insult, which again means "unsuccessful / unsophisticated / not up to the caliber of a true blue-blood"). So we definitely want something negative.

Correct answer:
E

Answer choice analysis:

(A) This isn't negative.

(B) This isn't negative.

(C) This isn't negative (and I've never seen the correct answer to an attitude question be 'neutral')

(D) Maybe, but disappointment means you had high hopes but are now crestfallen. It's hard to support that with any text.

(E) Yes! This is probably the strongest word I've ever picked for a correct answer, but calling people "Barbarians and Philistines" definitely conveys obvious contempt / low opinion.

Takeaway/Pattern: This is mainly challenging people on a vocab level, since most people wouldn't know what Philistines means. But hopefully we sense that if a cultural critic is calling rich, civilized English people in the 19th century "Barbarians", he's saying something pretty negative.

#officialexplanation