PT101.S4.P1.Q7 > Analytics

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Wherever the crime novels of P. D. James are discussed by critics, there is a tendency on the one hand to exaggerate her merits and on the other to castigate her as a genre writer who is getting above herself. ███

Intro Topic · Disagreement over James' novels

Some exaggerate her merits; others castigate her as merely a genre writer

Author's Comment · Perhaps disagreement arises from an unnecessary tension in fiction

Supporter · Elevate James' to high literature

Critics · Find her pretentious and tiresome

Example of Critics · Waugh and Oakes

Author as Supporter · Good writing; convincing characters; pleasurable descriptions

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Author as Critic · Distracting; thin plot devices; misplaced interests

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Author's Explanation · James feels constrained by the crime-novel genre

Recommends that James move beyond it and into the mainstream novel.

Passage Style

Critique or debate

The author characterizes the position ██ ████ ███████ ██ █████████ █████████ ███████ ██ ███ ██████ ██████████ ███████ ████ ████ █████ ███ ██ ███ █████████ ██████

Question Type

Implied

Other’s perspective

The passage’s author calls the views of certain critics an “inverted snobbery.” We’re being asked to explain what view the critics hold that makes them such “inverted snobs.” They accuse James of abandoning the conventions of the detective genre in favor of highbrow literature. Those critics must hold the view that detective fiction writers like James should stick to their lane and not try for a highbrow style.

Critics of literature ████ ███████████ ████ ████ ███ ████ ████████ ████ ████████ ██ ███████████

Keep in mind that we’re being asked about the critics’ perspective here, not the passage author’s. The critics aren’t comparing the talents of critics and novelists—they’re just commenting on the writing of one novelist, P. D. James. They think James is wrong to abandon the conventions of the detective genre, and should just stick to her lane.

13%

Critics should hesitate ██ █████████ ███████ ████████

Keep in mind that we’re being asked about the critics’ perspective here, not the passage author’s. The critics aren’t commenting on what critics should or shouldn’t do—they’re saying what P. D. James shouldn’t do. They think she shouldn’t abandon the conventions of the detective genre, and should just stick to her lane.

P. D. James's ██████ ██████ █████ ████ ██ ██████████ ████ ███ ███████ ██████ ███████

There’s no reference to the English landed gentry in the passage. The only references to James’s characters are extremely general (she features detectives, murderers, victims, and bystanders), and no one suggests that she should adjust her focus on any of those character types.

Detective fiction should ██ ███████ ██ ██████ ██ ███████████ ████████ ██████

The author calls the views of some critics an “inverted snobbery” because those critics accuse James of abandoning the conventions of the detective genre in favor of highbrow literature. Those critics must hold the view that detective fiction writers like James should stick to their lane instead of ambitiously aiming for a highbrow style.

68%

P. D. James ██████ ██ ████ ██████████ █████ ██████████ █████████

The critics don’t comment on James’s portrayal of violence. They just comment on how she abandons the conventions of the detective genre—conventions like laying out and then solving a mystery. The subject of violence and how it’s portrayed doesn’t come up in the passage.

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