Question 69·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Brit Bennett is an American novelist.
- Her debut novel, The Mothers, was published in 2016.
- The novel is set in a tight-knit African American community in Southern California.
- The Mothers became a New York Times bestseller.
- Bennett’s second novel, The Vanishing Half, was published in 2020 and explores themes of identity.
The student wants to incorporate information from the notes to summarize Bennett’s debut novel. Which choice most effectively fulfills this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis (notes) questions, first restate the exact task (here: summarize The Mothers). Then circle only the notes that apply to that target and ignore details about other topics. Finally, test each option for (1) accuracy (no altered details), (2) relevance (only what applies to the target), and (3) completeness (includes the most important notes without adding new claims).
Hints
Pull only the debut-novel facts
From the notes, list the facts that refer specifically to The Mothers (year, setting, and bestseller status).
Look for subtle mismatches
Some choices may sound right but change one key detail (for example, the publication year) or add a theme that the notes don’t attribute to The Mothers.
Prefer the most complete accurate summary
If two choices are accurate, choose the one that includes more of the important note details about The Mothers without adding anything new.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the goal
You need a sentence that summarizes Bennett’s debut novel, The Mothers using details from the notes (not details about her second novel unless they also apply to the debut novel).
List the relevant notes for The Mothers
The notes say that The Mothers:
- is Bennett’s debut novel,
- was published in 2016,
- is set in a tight-knit African American community in Southern California, and
- became a New York Times bestseller.
Check each option for accuracy and completeness
Eliminate choices that (1) omit an important note detail, (2) change a detail (like the year), or (3) add an unsupported claim (like bringing in a theme that the notes only connect to the second novel).
Select the choice that matches the notes exactly
The option that correctly includes the year (2016), the setting (tight-knit African American community in Southern California), and the bestseller status is:
Brit Bennett’s debut novel The Mothers (2016) became a New York Times bestseller and is set in a tight-knit African American community in Southern California.