Closer Reading: The Stories Behind LSAT RC Passages and LR Questions – PrepTest 56, Section 4, Passage 1
Under the time constraints of the LSAT, you won’t have time to appreciate some of the great content in the Reading Comprehension passages and Logical Reasoning questions. In this blog series, we’re slowing things down to tell some of the most interesting stories from the test and explain how they can aid in your LSAT prep.
Anyone who took PrepTest 56 learned a little about Amos Tutuola and his folktales (not novels), as the author classified them, in the reading comprehension questions of section 4, passage 1. He wrote in the African oral tradition, according to the passage, and his works should be viewed through that lens.
But what else can we learn about the man?
Well, first, he didn’t just create written works – he also trained as a blacksmith. During the 1940s, he worked for the Royal Air Force operating out of Nigeria. After that work was not in demand anymore, he found work as a bread seller, messenger for the Nigerian Department of Labor, and, starting at the age of 26, a writer, which would bring him to international (and LSAT-related) fame.
His first work, The Palm-Wine Drinkard, was written in a few days, and would go on to be his most famous novel. It was published six years after its writing by a London publisher before being made famous by Dylan Thomas’ positive commentary on it.
Throughout his career, Tutuola faced many criticisms. As seen in the LSAT passage, some didn’t understand the tradition in which he was working. Others criticized the “broken English” of his writing, and its lack of grammar.
But, just as on the LSAT, the critics were wrong. Compared favorably to the writings of Joyce and the dialects of Twain, modern scholarship of Tutuola focuses on the way that he explored his Yoruba background and the folklore told in this language through the generations.
After The Palm-Wine Drinkard, Tutuola wrote several other works that continued to build upon his legacy. None would match the success of the first work, but he would be prolific throughout the six decades of his career.
Also, for anyone who is a fan of Law & Order: SVU, the character of Odafin Tutuola is named after this storyteller. The Tutuola part is self-explanatory, but odafin was a title given to the spiritual leaders of a clan. Amos Tutuola’s grandfather was an odafin for his clan, thus inspiring the name.
How can Amos Tutuola’s life story help us on the LSAT? Amos’ first work was his best, and that tends to be the case for LSAT test takers as well; mistakes pile up as the test wears on and mental fatigue sets in. Even if you are more successful early on in the LSAT, you can still be successful overall. Get enough practice on full PrepTests so that you can minimize the effect of fatigue, but accept the fact that your first section will probably be your best. ?
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Matt Shinners is a Manhattan Prep instructor and jdMission Senior Consultant based in New York City. After receiving a degree in Biochemistry from Boston College, Matt scored a 180 on his LSAT and enrolled in Harvard Law School. There’s nothing that makes him happier than seeing his students receive the scores they want to get into the schools of their choice. Check out Matt’s upcoming LSAT courses here!