Cross-Text Connections

SAT Reading and Writing· difficulty 3/5

Text 1: Critic Park argues that Cormac McCarthy's spare, punctuation- light prose evokes the harsh landscapes his novels inhabit. The sentences refuse decoration, mirroring deserts and mountains where survival admits no excess.

Text 2: Critic Singh accepts that McCarthy's prose suits his settings but argues that the technique carries risks. The same austerity that creates landscape resonance can produce a flat, often grim moral universe in which violence and stoicism crowd out the full range of human experience. McCarthy's style, Singh suggests, is a powerful instrument that plays only certain notes.

The authors most clearly disagree about

  • A

    whether McCarthy's prose technique is best understood as a strength or a limitation.

    check_circle
  • B

    whether McCarthy uses spare prose.

  • C

    whether McCarthy is a working novelist.

  • D

    whether McCarthy writes about landscapes.

Explanation

Both accept McCarthy's style and landscape connection. They differ on evaluation. B captures the dispute.

Want 10 more like this — adaptive to your weak spots?

Related questions