Question 61·Hard·Inferences
Historian Maya Gluckman examined factory-worker diaries from the early 1900s to explore how personal writing reflects social consciousness. She found that diaries penned before workers joined unions rarely mentioned collective grievances, while those written after unionization frequently highlighted shared struggles and group identity. Gluckman therefore argued that diarists shape their narratives to fit prevailing social frameworks.
Subsequently, linguist John Reyes analyzed the same diaries and discovered that the density of first-person singular pronouns (such as I and me) declines markedly in entries composed after unionization. According to Reyes, this linguistic shift reinforces Gluckman’s interpretation by indicating that writers after unionization ______.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For inference-based “complete the text” questions, determine the logical job of the blank (here: explain evidence that reinforces an earlier interpretation). Then translate the new evidence into a simple idea (fewer “I/me” → less individual focus) and pick the option that best aligns that idea with the passage’s stated conclusion (a post-unionization shift toward shared struggles/group identity). Reject options that contradict the passage’s stated trend or that explain the data in a way that doesn’t clearly support the author’s interpretation.
Hints
Restate Gluckman’s pattern
Gluckman sees a shift after unionization toward shared struggles and group identity. Keep that target idea in mind for the blank.
Translate the pronoun evidence
If “I/me” shows up less often, the writing usually places less emphasis on the individual self. What kind of emphasis would fit Gluckman’s group-identity conclusion instead?
Check each choice for fit and for conflict
The right choice must both (1) explain why “I/me” declines and (2) reinforce the idea that the diaries become more group-oriented. Eliminate choices that conflict with “shared struggles” or that describe a shift that isn’t clearly communal.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify Gluckman’s main claim
First, summarize what historian Maya Gluckman argues:
- Before unionization: diaries rarely mentioned collective grievances.
- After unionization: diaries frequently highlighted shared struggles and group identity.
- Her conclusion: diarists shape their narratives to fit prevailing social frameworks — once unions and group identity become important, writers shape their diaries to emphasize the group.
Understand what Reyes adds
Next, look at what linguist John Reyes discovers:
- He finds the density of first-person singular pronouns (like “I” and “me”) declines markedly in entries after unionization.
- The question asks what this shift indicates in a way that reinforces Gluckman’s interpretation.
So the blank should express a change in how writers present experience that aligns with increased group identity.
Connect the pronoun change to point of view
If writers use fewer “I” and “me,” that usually signals less emphasis on the individual self in the narration. Given Gluckman’s finding that post-unionization diaries highlight shared struggles and group identity, Reyes’s pronoun evidence most logically points to a more communal framing of experience.
Test each answer against the passage’s logic
Evaluate each option by asking whether it (1) matches the pronoun evidence and (2) reinforces Gluckman’s group-identity interpretation:
- (B) Reporting union events more than personal feelings could reduce “I/me,” but it does not directly capture the key idea that writers frame experiences as collective/shared (the emphasis in Gluckman’s claim).
- (C) Treating problems as purely personal directly conflicts with Gluckman’s finding that post-unionization diaries highlight shared struggles.
- (D) An impersonal, detached voice is not the same as a communal/group perspective, and it does not clearly reinforce Gluckman’s point about group identity.
Only (A) directly links fewer first-person singular pronouns to less individual and more communal framing, which is exactly how Reyes’s finding would reinforce Gluckman.
Correct answer: tended to frame their experiences less in individual terms and more in a communal perspective.