Question 111·Hard·Central Ideas and Details
Historian Elaine Barr critiques the common narrative that the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire single-handedly sparked sweeping labor reform. While acknowledging the blaze’s dramatic, symbolic power, Barr notes that legislative momentum had been building for years, driven by sustained organizing from immigrant garment workers and exposés by investigative journalists. In her view, the fire served mainly as a vivid illustration for reforms already underway; later textbooks, however, elevate it to the status of lone catalyst, thereby obscuring the decade-long groundwork that rendered reform politically feasible.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
For main-idea questions, first quickly restate the passage in your own words, focusing on what the author is arguing about a topic, not just the topic itself. Pay special attention to contrast words (like "however," "but," "in her view") and to the first and last sentences, which often frame the author’s main point. Then scan the choices and eliminate any that (1) contradict the passage’s overall message, (2) focus on a minor detail, or (3) add claims that aren’t in the text. Finally, choose the option that captures both the author’s central claim and any key contrast or criticism mentioned in the passage.
Hints
Locate the author’s criticism
Focus on the first and last sentences. What common narrative does Barr criticize, and how does she say textbooks get the story wrong?
Notice what Barr says caused reform
Look carefully at the middle sentences. According to Barr, what forces were already pushing for reform before the fire happened?
Pay attention to the role of the fire
Does Barr say the fire had no effect, a symbolic but secondary effect, or that it was the main cause? Use this to rule out choices that misstate its importance.
Check that the choice matches the whole passage
Make sure your choice mentions both the pre-existing efforts (workers and journalists) and Barr’s disagreement with textbook portrayals, not just one or the other.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the question is asking
The question asks for the main idea of the entire passage, not a detail. Your task is to summarize what Barr is saying overall, especially the contrast between the common narrative and her view.
Summarize the passage in your own words
Go sentence by sentence:
- First sentence: Barr critiques the common story that the fire single-handedly sparked reform.
- Second sentence: She admits the fire was symbolically powerful, but says legislative momentum had already been building because of immigrant workers’ organizing and investigative journalists’ exposés.
- Third sentence: She says the fire was mainly a vivid illustration of reforms already underway.
- Fourth sentence: She says later textbooks exaggerate the fire into the lone catalyst, which hides the decade-long groundwork.
Put together, her main idea is a correction: the fire mattered symbolically, but the real drivers were earlier efforts that textbooks downplay.
Describe what the correct answer must include
From that summary, any correct choice must:
- Acknowledge that Barr sees the fire as symbolically important, not meaningless.
- Emphasize that pre-existing reform efforts (workers + journalists) were the main causes of reform.
- Show that Barr is challenging textbook accounts that give the fire too much credit.
Now look for the option that includes all three of these elements without adding extra claims not in the passage.
Evaluate the choices and select the best match
Eliminate options that: (1) say the fire was just a coincidence or almost irrelevant, (2) claim that one group (like journalists alone) was more important than everything else, or (3) suggest that reform depended equally on the fire and organizing, instead of saying organizing and journalism were already driving change.
The only choice that correctly states that Barr views the fire as a potent symbol but insists pre-existing reform efforts were the primary drivers of legislation, in contrast to textbook portrayals that make the fire seem like the lone cause, is:
B) Barr believes the fire was a potent symbol, but maintains that pre-existing reform efforts were the primary drivers of subsequent legislation, contrary to textbook portrayals.