Question 15·Hard·Central Ideas and Details
The following text is adapted from Etta Loring’s 1892 essay “On the Beauties of Polite Deception.”
It is an odd discrepancy of manners that we lavish bouquets upon frankness while we secretly cultivate its opposite. No hostess openly instructs her guests in the art of telling a gracious untruth, yet the skill is expected and admired when the ill-seasoned soup arrives. We inscribe Candor upon our schoolroom banners, but send children home with report cards glossed in euphemism, lest blunt statements bruise delicate hopes. So it is that our society, which declaims honesty from every pulpit, survives upon a cushion of small, well-dressed deceits; were these removed, the hard furniture of reality would give us all uncomfortable bruises.
Which choice best describes the author’s central claim regarding society’s relationship with honesty?
For central-idea questions, paraphrase the passage’s overall claim in one sentence, using the first and last sentences as anchors. Then eliminate choices that (1) weaken the author’s emphasis (e.g., making a widespread pattern sound occasional), (2) shift the claim from deception to mere politeness, or (3) change an implied/private practice into something openly endorsed. Pick the choice that best captures the broad contrast repeated across the examples.
Hints
Use the strongest sentence
Look closely at the final sentence beginning "So it is that our society…" What two ideas does it place side by side about honesty and deception?
Connect the examples
Consider the hostess and the soup, the school banners and report cards, and the phrase "declaims honesty from every pulpit." What repeated pattern do these examples illustrate?
Watch for subtle mismatches
Check whether a choice wrongly suggests the behavior is rare (instead of constant), not really lying (just tact), or openly admitted (instead of quietly expected).
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate the question and locate the main claim
The question asks for the author’s central claim about society’s relationship with honesty. For central-idea questions, focus especially on the beginning and the end of the passage.
The clearest statement of the main idea is in the last sentence:
"So it is that our society, which declaims honesty from every pulpit, survives upon a cushion of small, well-dressed deceits; were these removed, the hard furniture of reality would give us all uncomfortable bruises."
This sentence explicitly contrasts society’s public talk about honesty with its actual dependence on small deceptions.
Summarize the pattern across the examples
Each example shows the same pattern:
- People "lavish bouquets upon frankness" but "secretly cultivate its opposite."
- Guests are expected to offer a "gracious untruth" about bad soup.
- Schools celebrate "Candor" but soften report cards with euphemism to avoid bruising feelings.
Overall: society praises honesty publicly but relies on polite deception privately to keep interactions smooth.
Test each choice against the passage’s contrast
Compare the choices to that contrast:
- “Only occasionally” is too mild: the author says society "survives upon" these deceits, implying they are constant and foundational.
- Saying people use euphemism rather than anything untrue doesn’t fit: the passage explicitly mentions "a gracious untruth" and "deceits," not merely tactful wording.
- Saying society openly excuses polite deception conflicts with "No hostess openly instructs"—the author emphasizes that the practice is expected but not openly taught or admitted.
- The remaining option matches exactly: society publicly promotes honesty while depending on courteous lies.
Therefore, the correct answer is Society publicly condemns dishonesty even while depending on courteous lies.