Johnson is on firm ground when he asserts that the early editors of…
2023
Johnson is on firm ground when he asserts that the early editors of Dickinson's poetry often distorted her intentions. Yet Johnson's own, more faithful, text is still guilty of its own forms of distortion. To standardize Dickinson's often indecipherable handwritten punctuation by the use of the dash is to render permanent a casual mode of poetic phrasing that Dickinson surely never expected to see in print. It implies that Dickinson chose the dash as her typical mark of punctuation when, in fact, she apparently never made any definitive choice at all. Which of the following best summarizes the author's main point?
- A.
Although Johnson is right in criticizing Dickinson's early editors for their distortion of her work, his own text is guilty of equally serious distortions.
- B.
Johnson's use of the dash in his text of Dickinson's poetry misleads readers about the poet's intentions.
- C.
Because Dickinson never expected her poetry to be published, virtually any attempt at editing it must run counter to her intentions.
- D.
Although Johnson's attempt to produce a more faithful text of Dickinson's poetry is well-meaning, his study of the material lacks sufficient thoroughness.
Attempted by 3 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
For an 'author's main point / best summary' question, the correct choice must state the claim the ENTIRE passage builds toward -- including any contrast word such as 'yet' or 'but' that reverses or qualifies an earlier statement -- not just one clause, one supporting example, or an idea the passage never actually makes.
This passage has a two-part, 'yet'-pivoted structure. First, it concedes that Johnson is right: the early editors of Dickinson's poetry distorted her intentions. Then the pivot word 'Yet' reverses direction: Johnson's own, supposedly more faithful text is still guilty of its own distortion, because standardizing Dickinson's handwritten punctuation with the dash falsely implies she deliberately chose the dash as her typical mark, when in fact she never made any such definitive choice. A correct summary must hold BOTH halves together: Johnson's criticism of the early editors is valid, AND his own text also distorts Dickinson's work.
Checking each option against the passage's two-part claim:
'Johnson is right about the early editors, and his own text is also guilty of its own form of distortion' -- reflects both halves of the 'yet' pivot; matches the passage.
'The dash misleads readers about the poet's intentions' -- states only the second half (the dash detail) and drops the opening concession about the early editors; too narrow.
'Any editing of unpublished work must run counter to her intentions' -- broadens the passage's specific complaint about the dash into a general claim about editing that the passage never makes; overreaches.
'Johnson's study of the material lacks sufficient thoroughness' -- introduces a research-rigor claim that the passage does not discuss at all; off-topic.
Only the option holding both halves together -- that Johnson's criticism of the early editors is valid, and that his own text is also guilty of its own distortion -- captures the passage's complete main point.