In the ancien régime —pre-Revolutionary France's rigidly hierarchical feudal order—the form, fabric, and color of a garment announced a person's...
GMAT Reading Comprehension : (RC) Questions
In the ancien régime —pre-Revolutionary France's rigidly hierarchical feudal order—the form, fabric, and color of a garment announced a person's position within that order. It did so systematically and transparently. Dress differences, between aristocrats and commoners and within the aristocracy, openly performed sociopolitical functions—self-affirmation for some, subordination for others. The fact that the common people generally could not afford luxurious dress largely maintained the system. This economic basis was buttressed by the continued issuance of sumptuary laws—laws regulating consumption—that codified dress differences. For the aristocracy these were protectionist measures ensuring their monopoly of luxury and thus luxury's differentiating function. Brocades, linings, furs, feathers, lace, gold and silver trimmings, and expensive dyes were by law the aristocracy's to wear, hence transparent markers of high status.
With feudalism's decline, the clothing system's economic basis eroded. A rising middle class could increasingly afford luxury and, as part of its self-fashioning, emulated the aristocracy in manners and dress. This appropriation of aristocratic styles (with aristocrats' consequent adopting of new styles to differentiate themselves), meant that dress less reliably indicated social position. In the seventeenth century, the aristocracy issued even more sumptuary laws to maintain the clothing system. During Louis XIV's reign (1643-1715), even such details as gold braid and buttons were minutely regulated. These measures failed to discourage the rising middle class. Originally a prerogative of birth and rank, luxury was increasingly claimed by anyone with the desire and means to buy it. As a Parisian attorney observed in 1745, "Today luxury is widespread, and because money rules, everything is topsy-turvy in Paris." The meanings of dress became (temporarily) opaque and fashions pace of change, formerly a slow evolution over centuries, accelerated dramatically. With this, modern fashion emerged as "something adopted temporarily, on the basis of collective but ephemeral preferences."
In 1793, a formal decree was issued that epitomized the rupture: "No person of either sex can force any citizen, male or female, to dress in a particular way..; everyone is free to wear the garment or garb suitable to his or her sex that he or she pleases." Thus did France's Revolution legally mark the end of the ancien régime's dress system.
According to the passage, each of the following is true of some period in pre-Revolutionary France EXCEPT:
1. Passage Analysis:
Progressive Passage Analysis
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| In the ancien régime —pre-Revolutionary France's rigidly hierarchical feudal order—the form, fabric, and color of a garment announced a person's position within that order. | What it says: In old France before the Revolution, clothing told everyone exactly where you ranked in society. What it does: Introduces the main topic and sets up a clear system. Source/Type: Historical fact Connection to Previous Sentences: This is our starting point - no previous connections yet. Visualization: Imagine a society where: • King wears gold and purple → Everyone knows: "That's the king" • Noble wears silk and jewels → Everyone knows: "That's nobility" • Farmer wears rough cloth → Everyone knows: "That's a commoner" What We Know So Far: Clothing = social rank indicator What We Don't Know Yet: How this system worked, what happened to it Reading Strategy Insight: This establishes a simple, clear system. RC passages often start with something straightforward before showing how it changes. |
| It did so systematically and transparently. | What it says: This clothing system worked in an organized, obvious way. What it does: Restates and emphasizes the previous sentence Source/Type: Author's characterization of the system Connection to Previous Sentences: This builds on sentence 1 by emphasizing HOW clear the system was. This is NOT new information - it's reinforcement. Visualization: Like a uniform system: • Military: Stripes on sleeve = exact rank • Old France: Fabric type = exact social position Reading Strategy Insight: Feel relieved here - this is simplification, not new complexity! The author is helping us understand by restating the key point: the system was crystal clear. |
Why It's Wrong:
• The passage explicitly states that dress differences existed "within the aristocracy," showing internal hierarchical distinctions
• Sentence 3 analysis confirms: "Dress differences, between aristocrats and commoners and within the aristocracy"
• This is clearly supported as true for the early ancien régime period
Common Student Mistakes:
- Thinking the passage only discusses differences between social classes, not within them?
→ Reread sentence 3 which specifically mentions "within the aristocracy" - Confusing "within aristocracy" with "between aristocracy and commoners"?
→ The passage discusses both types of distinctions separately
Why It's Wrong:
• Sentence 14 explicitly states: "Originally a prerogative of birth and rank, luxury was increasingly claimed by anyone with the desire and means to buy it"
• This directly confirms that luxury WAS considered a prerogative of birth in the early period
• The word "originally" indicates this was true for some period in pre-Revolutionary France
Common Student Mistakes:
- Focusing only on the later period when this changed?
→ The question asks about "some period" - the early period counts - Missing the contrast between "originally" versus "increasingly"?
→ "Originally" refers to the early ancien régime period
Why It's Wrong:
• Sentence 4 directly states: "The fact that the common people generally could not afford luxurious dress largely maintained the system"
• This confirms that most common people could NOT afford luxurious dress during the stable period
• This economic barrier was fundamental to how the system worked
Common Student Mistakes:
- Thinking "generally could not" means "some could"?
→ "Generally" means "most" - supporting the choice that "most common people could not afford" - Confusing the later middle-class changes with the original common people?
→ The middle class was a separate group that emerged later
Why It's Wrong:
• Sentence 16 explicitly contrasts old and new: "fashions pace of change, formerly a slow evolution over centuries, accelerated dramatically"
• "Formerly" indicates that slow change characterized some period in pre-Revolutionary France
• This describes the early stable period before economic disruption
Common Student Mistakes:
- Focusing only on the later period of accelerated change?
→ "Formerly" tells us about the earlier period's characteristics - Missing that "over centuries" indicates extremely slow change?
→ This directly supports "slow to change" for the early period
Why It's Right:
• The passage shows that economic barriers, not sumptuary laws, provided the foundation for the system
• Sentence 4-5 analysis reveals the hierarchy: economic basis was primary, laws were secondary reinforcement
• The phrase "This economic basis was buttressed by...sumptuary laws" shows laws supported rather than founded the system
• Laws were protectionist measures to maintain an already-existing economic foundation
Key Evidence: "The fact that the common people generally could not afford luxurious dress largely maintained the system. This economic basis was buttressed by the continued issuance of sumptuary laws"