Question 221·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While preparing a presentation, a student has gathered the following notes:
- Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein was first published in 1818.
- Frankenstein (1931) is a film directed by James Whale.
- The movie is a loose adaptation of Shelley’s novel.
- Both works feature a scientist who creates life.
The student wants to emphasize that the 1931 film is based on Shelley’s novel. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions with notes, first restate the task in your own words (for example, “I need a sentence that shows X causes/leads to Y” or “I need to emphasize the relationship between A and B”). Then scan the notes and identify which specific bullet(s) directly address that task. Finally, choose the option that uses those key notes and states the needed relationship as directly and completely as possible, rejecting choices that are accurate but focus on side details (like dates, plot, or themes) instead of the requested emphasis.
Hints
Clarify the task
Underline the part of the question that tells you the goal: what specific relationship between the novel and the film does the student want to highlight?
Use the notes strategically
Among the bullet points, decide which one talks about how the movie relates to the book, not just what happens in them or when they were made.
Match note to answer choice
Look for the option that most directly turns that relationship note into a clear sentence, without focusing mainly on plot details or dates.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the writing goal
Read the question stem carefully: the student wants to emphasize that the 1931 film is based on Shelley’s novel. So the correct sentence must clearly state the relationship between the book and the movie, not just describe one of them or their plot details.
Find the relevant note(s)
Look at the bullet points and decide which one directly explains the relationship between the novel and the film.
- The first and fourth bullets give background (publication date; both have a scientist who creates life).
- The key relationship is in the third bullet: “The movie is a loose adaptation of Shelley’s novel.” That is the information that shows the film is based on the novel.
Test each answer against the goal
Now compare each option to the goal and the key note:
- One choice talks only about the film’s story (a scientist creating life) but not that the film is based on the novel.
- Another choice just states the publication year of the novel.
- Another mentions that both works show a scientist defying nature but still doesn’t say the film comes from the novel.
Eliminate any option that does not clearly state that the film comes from or is based on the novel.
Select the answer that clearly states the relationship
The only option that directly states that the book led to the film is: “The 1818 novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley inspired James Whale’s 1931 film of the same name.” This accurately uses the note that the movie is a loose adaptation of the novel and clearly emphasizes that the film is based on the book, so it is the correct answer.