Question 78·Hard·Text Structure and Purpose
The following text is adapted from an 1890s novel. Clara has just arrived at a grand social event.
Clara paused at the threshold of the ballroom, hearing the bright chatter swirl around her like wind through glass. She had attended such gatherings often enough to know their choreography: greetings spun into compliments, compliments into careless gossip, and finally all into forgetfulness by dawn. She lingered, watching the sequence unfold as though it were a mechanical toy wound up for her inspection, a spectacle both intricate and inevitable, and she felt herself positioned oddly outside its clockwork. Only after taking that measure of distance did she step forward, fastening a smile that matched the glitter of the chandeliers.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the passage as a whole?
For SAT "function" questions, first pinpoint exactly what the targeted sentence says—paraphrase it in your own words. Then, look at the sentence right before and right after to see how it connects: does it reveal a character’s attitude, add a comparison, shift the tone, or move the plot? Finally, eliminate choices that introduce ideas not supported by the text (like new plot twists, settings, or emotions) and choose the option that best describes the role the sentence actually plays in its immediate context.
Hints
Zoom in on the highlighted sentence
Reread just the highlighted sentence. What is Clara doing in this moment—participating in the party, or watching it?
Pay attention to the imagery
Focus on the comparison to a "mechanical toy" and "clockwork." What do those images suggest about how predictable or personal this event feels to Clara?
Connect before and after
Look at the sentence before (about knowing the "choreography") and the one after (about stepping forward and smiling). How does the highlighted sentence help bridge her knowledge of such events and her choice to join in?
Test each answer against the text
For each option, ask: Does the highlighted sentence actually do this in the passage—describe décor, predict an interruption, challenge her familiarity, or reveal her attitude toward the event?
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate what the question is asking
The question asks about the function of the highlighted sentence in the passage as a whole. That means you need to explain why the author included this sentence and what it adds—for example, about Clara’s attitude, the scene, or the plot.
Closely read the highlighted sentence
Look at key phrases in the sentence:
- "watching the sequence unfold"
- "as though it were a mechanical toy wound up for her inspection"
- "a spectacle both intricate and inevitable"
- "she felt herself positioned oddly outside its clockwork"
These phrases show that Clara is watching the social interactions as if they are something automatic, predictable, and separate from her. The word "inspection" suggests she is observing, and "outside its clockwork" suggests she feels separate from, not inside, the social “machine.”
Connect the sentence to the rest of the passage
In the previous sentence, we are told Clara "had attended such gatherings often enough to know their choreography." That means she is very familiar with how these events go. The highlighted sentence extends this idea by describing the party as a mechanical, predictable process she can watch from the outside. Then, in the next sentence, she finally steps forward and puts on a smile, showing that she is choosing to join something she first viewed from a distance.
So, this sentence mainly reveals how Clara is relating to the event in her mind—as an observer who feels oddly outside of it.
Match that understanding to the best answer choice
Now compare this understanding to the options:
- It’s not focused on decorations or physical details of the ballroom.
- It doesn’t hint that anything will interrupt or disturb the party.
- It doesn’t contradict her familiarity; it actually supports that she knows the pattern well.
Instead, it shows that she is standing back and viewing the party as something automatic and separate from herself. Therefore, the best answer is: “It characterizes Clara’s detached perspective on the social event she is observing.”