Question 1618 : The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures
the essence of the passage.
When the tradwife puts on that georgic, pinstriped dress, she is not just admiring the visual cues of a
fantastical past. She takes these dreams of storybook bliss literally, tracing them backward in time until she
reaches a logical conclusion that satisfies her. And by doing so, she ends up delivering an unhappy
reminder of just how much our lives consist of artifice and playacting. The tradwife outrages people
because of her deliberately regressive ideals. And yet her behaviour is, on some level, indistinguishable
from the non-tradwife’s. The tradwife’s trollish genius is to beat us at our own dress-up game. By insisting
that the idyllic cottage daydream should be real, right down to the primitive gender roles, she leaves others
feeling hollow, cheated. The hullabaloo and headaches she causes may be the price we pay for taking too
many things at face value: our just deserts, served Instagram-perfect by a manicured hand on a gorgeous
ceramic dish, with fat, mouthwatering maraschino cherries on top.
the essence of the passage.
When the tradwife puts on that georgic, pinstriped dress, she is not just admiring the visual cues of a
fantastical past. She takes these dreams of storybook bliss literally, tracing them backward in time until she
reaches a logical conclusion that satisfies her. And by doing so, she ends up delivering an unhappy
reminder of just how much our lives consist of artifice and playacting. The tradwife outrages people
because of her deliberately regressive ideals. And yet her behaviour is, on some level, indistinguishable
from the non-tradwife’s. The tradwife’s trollish genius is to beat us at our own dress-up game. By insisting
that the idyllic cottage daydream should be real, right down to the primitive gender roles, she leaves others
feeling hollow, cheated. The hullabaloo and headaches she causes may be the price we pay for taking too
many things at face value: our just deserts, served Instagram-perfect by a manicured hand on a gorgeous
ceramic dish, with fat, mouthwatering maraschino cherries on top.
Video Explanation
Explanatory Answer
Option C is the correct answer. This option best captures the essence of the passage. The tradwife’s embrace
of traditional roles and vintage fashion naturally contrasts with and highlights the superficiality of modern life.
The passage emphasizes that she is not overtly critiquing society but rather embodying a regressive ideal that
challenges contemporary norms. This fits with how the passage describes her actions—her existence itself is a
challenge to modern societal expectations.
Option A:The passage does not suggest that the tradwife is actively critiquing modern society. Instead, the
tradwife embodies a lifestyle and set of ideals that are in contrast to contemporary values. The critique comes
from others' reactions to her behavior, not from her intentions.
Option B: The passage does not show her as actively trying to expose or mock anything. She simply lives in a
way that contrasts with modern expectations. The "mockery" is a reaction from others, not her goal. Therefore,
this option overstates her intentions.
Option D: This focuses on the tradwife's dress and adherence to traditional roles as the means of revealing
modern life’s artificial nature. While the tradwife does embody these traditional values, the passage is more
focused on how her actions highlight societal superficiality rather than "revealing" it. Additionally, the passage
suggests that her behaviour is not an overt revelation but rather something that others react to—making this
option somewhat distorted.