Struggling With This GMAT RC OG Hard Passage?

If you got one or more questions wrong on this GMAT RC OG hard passage, the issue probably was not the questions — it was how you read the passage. This blog will show you what you missed and why.

Passage

It is an odd but indisputable fact that the seventeenth-century English women who are generally regarded as among the forerunners of modern feminism are almost all identified with the Royalist side in the conflict between Royalists and Parliamentarians known as the English Civil Wars. Since Royalist ideology is often associated with the radical patriarchalism of seventeenth century political theorist Robert Filmer—a patriarchalism that equates family and kingdom and asserts the divinely ordained absolute power of the king and, by analogy, of the male head of the household—historians have been understandably puzzled by the fact that Royalist women wrote the earliest extended criticisms of the absolute subordination of women in marriage and the earliest systematic assertions of women’s rational and moral equality with men. Some historians have questioned the facile equation of Royalist ideology with Filmerian patriarchalism; and indeed, there may have been no consistent differences between Royalists and Parliamentarians on issues of family organization and women’s political rights, but in that case one would expect early feminists to be equally divided between the two sides.

Catherine Gallagher argues that Royalism engendered feminism because the ideology of absolute monarchy provided a transition to an ideology of the absolute self. She cites the example of the notoriously eccentric author Margaret Cavendish (1626–1673), duchess of Newcastle. Cavendish claimed to be as ambitious as any woman could be, but knowing that as a woman she was excluded from the pursuit of power in the real world, she resolved to be mistress of her own world, the “immaterial world” that any person can create within her own mind—and, as a writer, on paper. In proclaiming what she called her “singularity,” Cavendish insisted that she was a self-sufficient being within her mental empire, the center of her own subjective universe rather than a satellite orbiting a dominant male planet. In justifying this absolute singularity, Cavendish repeatedly invoked the model of the absolute monarch, a figure that became a metaphor for the self-enclosed, autonomous nature of the individual person. Cavendish’s successors among early feminists retained her notion of woman’s sovereign self, but they also sought to break free from the complete political and social isolation that her absolute singularity entailed.

Video Walkthrough

Before reading the solutions, watch this complete passage explanation. Understanding how to read this passage is as important as knowing the answers.

Question 1

The author of the passage refers to Robert Filmer primarily in order to:

(A) Show that Royalist ideology was somewhat more radical than most historians appear to realize

(B) Qualify the claim that patriarchalism formed the basis of Royalist ideology

(D) Highlight an apparent tension between Royalist ideology and the ideas of early feminists

(E) Argue that Royalists held conflicting opinions on issues of family organization and women’s political rights

Correct Answer: D

Understanding the Question

This is a Function/Purpose question — it asks why the author mentions Filmer.

What the Probable Answer Should Convey

The correct answer must capture the author’s reason for introducing Filmer at that specific point in the argument. What can the reason be?

Sentence 1 tells us early feminist women were almost all Royalists and flags this as odd — but does not yet explain why. The Filmer reference fills that gap: the author uses Filmer to explain what Royalist ideology is often associated with — absolute patriarchal authority flowing from king down to male head of household. Once we understand this, the contradiction becomes visible — women advocating for equality were aligned with an ideology often associated with absolute male authority. Without the Filmer reference, we would not understand why historians find this fact puzzling.

The correct answer should convey that the Filmer reference exists to make the paradox visible — to show why the feminist-Royalist connection is contradictory and puzzling.

Answer Choice Evaluation

(A) Show that Royalist ideology was somewhat more radical than most historians appear to realize

The passage says Royalist ideology is often associated with radical patriarchalism and that some historians even question this linkage. Neither of these says anything about historians underestimating or overestimating how radical Royalism was. There is no discussion anywhere in the passage of historians having a particular view about the degree of Royalism’s radicalism. Incorrect.

(B) Qualify the claim that patriarchalism formed the basis of Royalist ideology

“Qualify” means to limit or soften a claim. The author is not taking any position on whether patriarchalism formed the basis of Royalist ideology — the author is simply using Filmer to explain what Royalism is often associated with, so the reader understands why the paradox exists. The Filmer reference is part of the explanation, not an attempt to soften or limit a claim about patriarchalism. Incorrect.

(C) Question the view that most early feminists were associated with the Royalist faction

The author calls this view “indisputable” in the very first line and never questions it anywhere in the passage. The entire passage is built on accepting this fact and explaining it. There is no discussion in the passage of anyone questioning this view. Incorrect.

(D) Highlight an apparent tension between Royalist ideology and the ideas of early feminists

The Filmer reference establishes what Royalist ideology is often associated with — absolute patriarchal authority. This stands in direct contradiction to what early feminist women advocated for — equality and rejection of female subordination. By explaining Royalist ideology through Filmer, the author makes this contradiction visible. This is precisely what the Filmer reference is there to do. Correct.

(E) Argue that Royalists held conflicting opinions on issues of family organization and women’s political rights

The passage says nothing about Royalists holding conflicting opinions among themselves on these issues. The idea that there may have been no consistent differences appears in Sentence 3 — but that is a comparison between Royalists and Parliamentarians as two groups, not a statement about disagreement within the Royalist group. There is no basis in the passage for the claim this choice makes. Incorrect.

Diagnostics

If you rejected D:

You likely did not connect Sentence 2 back to Sentence 1 and therefore missed that Sentence 2 is answering the question left open by Sentence 1 — why is this fact odd? Or you did not even register that Sentence 1 leaves a question open. In that case, you likely missed the impact of the word “odd” while reading Sentence 1.

If you selected A, C, or E:

There is no discussion in the passage of what is claimed in any of these choices. If you selected one of them, you either did not read the choice carefully or did not understand the passage correctly for the reasons mentioned above.

If you selected B:

You either did not know what “qualify” means — it means to limit or soften a claim — or did not read the choice carefully, or did not understand the passage correctly for the reasons mentioned above.

Question 2

The passage suggests which of the following about the seventeenth-century English women mentioned in line 2?

(A) Their status as forerunners of modern feminism is not entirely justified

(B) They did not openly challenge the radical patriarchalism of Royalist Filmerian ideology

(C) Cavendish was the first among these women to criticize women’s subordination in marriage and assert women’s equality with men

(D) Their views on family organization and women’s political rights were diametrically opposed to those of both Royalist and Parliamentarian ideology

(E) Historians would be less puzzled if more of them were identified with the Parliamentarian side in the English Civil Wars

Correct Answer: E

Understanding the Question

This is an Inference question — it asks what the passage “suggests” about the seventeenth-century English women mentioned in line 2. The correct answer must be something that is true based on what the passage says — not something that goes beyond it, contradicts it, or brings in new information.

What the Probable Answer Should Convey

The passage tells us three things about these women.

1. They are generally regarded as among the forerunners of modern feminism.
2. Almost all of them were identified with the Royalist side.
3. This association puzzled historians because Royalist ideology is often associated with patriarchalism — which stands in direct contradiction to what these women advocated for.

The correct answer should follow directly from something the passage has established about these women — without adding anything new or distorting what the passage says.

Answer Choice Evaluation

(A) Their status as forerunners of modern feminism is not entirely justified

The passage says these women are “generally regarded as among the forerunners of modern feminism” and then goes on to show that they wrote the earliest extended criticisms of women’s subordination and the earliest systematic assertions of women’s equality. Nothing in the passage questions or undermines their status as forerunners. The author never suggests this status is unjustified. Incorrect.

(B) They did not openly challenge the radical patriarchalism of Royalist Filmerian ideology

The passage explicitly says these women wrote the earliest extended criticisms of women’s subordination in marriage and the earliest systematic assertions of women’s equality with men. These are open, written challenges. This choice directly contradicts what the passage says. Incorrect.

(C) Cavendish was the first among these women to criticize women’s subordination in marriage and assert women’s equality with men

The passage says these women collectively wrote the earliest extended criticisms of women’s subordination and the earliest systematic assertions of women’s equality. Cavendish is introduced in the second paragraph only as an example used by Gallagher to explain a broader argument — not as the first among these women to do these things. The passage makes no such claim about Cavendish. Incorrect.

(D) Their views on family organization and women’s political rights were diametrically opposed to those of both Royalist and Parliamentarian ideology

The passage tells us nothing about what Parliamentarian ideology actually looked like on issues of family organization and women’s political rights. The only mention of Parliamentarians is a hypothetical scenario raised and then rejected by the author. Without knowing their views, we cannot say these women’s views were opposed to both sides. The passage simply does not give us enough information to support this claim. Incorrect.

(E) Historians would be less puzzled if more of them were identified with the Parliamentarian side in the English Civil Wars

The passage says almost all of these feminist women were identified with the Royalist side. The puzzle for historians exists precisely because of this lopsided distribution — almost all on one side, very few on the other. If more of them had been identified with the Parliamentarian side, the distribution would have been less lopsided and historians would have had less reason to be puzzled. This follows directly from “almost all” in Sentence 1. Correct.

Diagnostics

If you rejected E:

You likely missed the weight of “almost all” in Sentence 1 or did not draw the logical inference from it — that a less lopsided distribution would have meant less puzzlement for historians.

If you selected A, B, C, or D:

The passage does not support what any of these choices claim. You either did not read the choice carefully or did not understand the passage correctly for the reasons mentioned above.

Question 3

The passage suggests that Margaret Cavendish’s decision to become an author was motivated, at least in part, by a desire to:

(A) Justify her support for the Royalist cause

(B) Encourage her readers to work toward eradicating Filmerian patriarchalism

(D) Analyze the causes for women’s exclusion from the pursuit of power

(E) Create a world over which she could exercise total control

Correct Answer: E

Understanding the Question

This is an Inference question — it asks what the passage suggests about Cavendish’s motivation for becoming an author. The key phrase is “motivated, at least in part” — the correct answer does not need to be the only motivation, just one that the passage supports.

What the Probable Answer Should Convey

The passage tells us that Cavendish knew she was excluded from power in the real world. Her response was to resolve to be mistress of her own world — first the immaterial world she created in her mind, and then as a writer, on paper. So writing was one of the ways she made that inner world visible and exercised control over it. The correct answer should reflect the same.

Answer Choice Evaluation

(A) Justify her support for the Royalist cause

The passage never connects Cavendish’s writing to any desire to justify her Royalist alignment. Her writing is discussed entirely in the context of creating her own world and claiming sovereignty over it — not in the context of political allegiance. There is no basis in the passage for this claim. Incorrect.

(B) Encourage her readers to work toward eradicating Filmerian patriarchalism

The passage says Cavendish proclaimed her singularity and insisted on her self-sufficiency — but there is no mention anywhere of her trying to encourage others to act against patriarchalism. Her focus as described in the passage is entirely inward — on her own world and her own sovereignty. Incorrect.

(C) Persuade other women to break free from their political and social isolation

The passage says it was Cavendish’s successors who sought to break free from political and social isolation — not Cavendish herself. Cavendish’s absolute singularity actually entailed complete isolation. Attributing this motivation to Cavendish directly contradicts what the passage says. Incorrect.

(D) Analyze the causes for women’s exclusion from the pursuit of power

The passage says Cavendish knew she was excluded from the pursuit of power in the real world — but her response was to create her own world, not to analyze why the exclusion existed. The passage gives no indication that analysis of this exclusion was her motivation for writing. Incorrect.

(E) Create a world over which she could exercise total control

The passage explicitly says that Cavendish resolved to be mistress of her own world — and that as a writer, on paper, she created that world. She insisted she was the center of her own subjective universe, self-sufficient within her mental empire. Writing was the means through which she exercised that total control. This follows directly from what the passage says. Correct.

Diagnostics

If you rejected E:

You likely did not connect “as a writer, on paper” back to what the passage says about Cavendish’s resolution to be mistress of her own world. Writing and world-creation are directly linked in the passage — one is the expression of the other.

If you selected A, B, or D:

The passage does not support what any of these choices claim about Cavendish’s motivation for writing. You either did not read the choice carefully or did not understand the passage correctly for the reasons mentioned above.

If you selected C:

You likely confused Cavendish with her successors. The passage explicitly attributes the desire to break free from political and social isolation to Cavendish’s successors — not to Cavendish herself. Re-read the last sentence of the passage carefully.

Question 4

The phrase “a satellite orbiting a dominant male planet” refers most directly to:

(A) Cavendish’s concept that each woman is a sovereign self

(B) The complete political and social isolation of absolute singularity

(D) The absolute subordination of women in a patriarchal society

(E) The metaphorical figure of the absolute monarch

Correct Answer: D

Understanding the Question

This question asks what the phrase “a satellite orbiting a dominant male planet” refers to most directly.

What the Probable Answer Should Convey

The phrase appears with “rather than” before it — meaning Cavendish is rejecting this image as a description of what a woman’s position looks like in the real world. The phrase is describing the condition of women who are secondary to and dependent on male authority. The correct answer should reflect this.

Answer Choice Evaluation

(A) Cavendish’s concept that each woman is a sovereign self

This is the opposite of what the phrase describes. The satellite image represents exactly what Cavendish is rejecting — the dependent, secondary position. Her concept of the sovereign self is what she is asserting instead. Incorrect.

(B) The complete political and social isolation of absolute singularity

The phrase describes dependence and subordination — a satellite that cannot move independently and always orbits the dominant planet. Isolation is a separate idea discussed in the last sentence of the passage. Incorrect.

(C) The immaterial world that a writer can create on paper

The immaterial world is Cavendish’s own creation where she is the center and self-sufficient. The satellite image describes the opposite — a woman with no independent world revolving around male authority. These are two completely different ideas. Incorrect.

(D) The absolute subordination of women in a patriarchal society

The satellite orbiting a dominant male planet describes a woman who is secondary, dependent, and revolves around male authority — exactly the condition of absolute subordination in a patriarchal setup. This is what Cavendish is rejecting when she proclaims her singularity. Correct.

(E) The metaphorical figure of the absolute monarch

The absolute monarch is associated with Cavendish’s concept of singularity and self-sufficiency — the opposite of what the satellite image represents. These are two separate metaphors in the passage serving opposite purposes. Incorrect.

Diagnostics

If you rejected D:

You likely did not visualize the comparison the passage is making. Picture it — a satellite that cannot move independently and always orbits a planet. Now place that in the context of patriarchy — a woman who is always secondary and revolves around male authority. Once you see this image clearly, what it refers to becomes obvious.

If you selected A, B, C, or E:

You likely did not understand this comparison and picked a choice that uses words or ideas from around this sentence rather than understanding what the satellite image itself is describing.

Question 5

Which of the following, if true, would most clearly undermine Gallagher’s explanation of the link between Royalism and feminism?

(A) Because of their privileged backgrounds, Royalist women were generally better educated than were their Parliamentarian counterparts

(B) Filmer himself had read some of Cavendish’s early writings and was highly critical of her ideas

(D) The Royalist and Parliamentarian ideologies were largely in agreement on issues of family organization and women’s political rights

(E) The Royalist side included a sizable minority faction that was opposed to the more radical tendencies of Filmerian patriarchalism

Correct Answer: C

Understanding the Question

This is a Weaken question. The correct answer must undermine Gallagher’s explanation — that Royalism led to feminism because the ideology of absolute monarchy gave women the idea that they could be absolute rulers of their own inner world.

What the Probable Answer Should Convey

Gallagher’s explanation rests on one key example — Cavendish. She uses Cavendish to show how this ideological transition worked and argues this explains the broader pattern of Royalist women becoming feminists. The correct answer should be anything that weakens Cavendish as a representative example or weakens the generalization of this example to other Royalist feminist women.

Answer Choice Evaluation

(A) Because of their privileged backgrounds, Royalist women were generally better educated than were their Parliamentarian counterparts

This tells us why Royalist women may have been more capable of producing feminist writing — but it does not address Gallagher’s specific claim about the ideological transition from absolute monarchy to absolute self. Better education does not undermine this mechanism. Incorrect.

(B) Filmer himself had read some of Cavendish’s early writings and was highly critical of her ideas

This tells us Filmer disagreed with Cavendish — but this does not undermine Gallagher’s explanation. Gallagher’s claim is that Cavendish borrowed the logical structure of absolute monarchy and redirected it inward. Whether Filmer approved or disapproved is irrelevant to this mechanism. Incorrect.

(C) Cavendish’s views were highly individual and were not shared by other Royalist women who wrote early feminist works

Gallagher uses Cavendish as the example to explain why Royalism produced feminism broadly — among the seventeenth-century English women who were forerunners of modern feminism. If Cavendish’s views were unique to her and not shared by other Royalist feminist women, then Cavendish cannot serve as evidence for a broader pattern. Gallagher’s explanation loses its foundation. Correct.

(D) The Royalist and Parliamentarian ideologies were largely in agreement on issues of family organization and women’s political rights

This is the hypothetical scenario that the author raises and rejects in Paragraph 1 — and the author shows it does not resolve the puzzle anyway. Even if true, it does not directly undermine Gallagher’s specific mechanism of ideological transition. Incorrect.

(E) The Royalist side included a sizable minority faction that was opposed to the more radical tendencies of Filmerian patriarchalism

This tells us some Royalists were not fully aligned with Filmerian patriarchalism — but Gallagher’s explanation does not require all Royalists to follow Filmerism strictly. The explanation is about how the ideology of absolute monarchy provided a transition to the ideology of the absolute self. Internal variation within Royalism does not undermine this. Incorrect.

Diagnostics

If you rejected C:

You likely did not understand the role Cavendish plays in Gallagher’s explanation. Cavendish is not just an illustration — she is the entire basis of Gallagher’s argument. If her case is unique and not representative of other Royalist feminist women, Gallagher’s broader claim has no support.

If you selected A or B:

You likely did not identify the exact claim Gallagher is making. Both choices bring in information that seems relevant but does not touch the specific mechanism Gallagher proposes — the ideological transition from absolute monarchy to absolute self.

If you selected D:

You likely remembered this idea from Paragraph 1 and felt it was relevant. But this scenario was already addressed and rejected by the author before Gallagher’s explanation even begins — it does not target Gallagher’s specific argument.

If you selected E:

You likely did not understand Gallagher’s explanation clearly enough. Internal disagreement within Royalism about Filmerism does not affect the claim that the ideology of absolute monarchy provided a pathway to feminist thought.

Question 6

The primary purpose of the passage is to:

(A) Trace the historical roots of a modern sociopolitical movement

(B) Present one scholar’s explanation for a puzzling historical phenomenon

(D) Establish a link between the ideology of an influential political theorist and that of a notoriously eccentric writer

(E) Call attention to some points of agreement between opposing sides in an ideological debate

Correct Answer: B

Understanding the Question

This is a Primary Purpose question. The correct answer must capture what the entire passage is doing.

What the Probable Answer Should Convey

The passage opens by presenting a puzzling historical fact — early feminist women were almost all Royalists. It then rejects one explanation for this puzzle and presents Gallagher’s explanation for why this is the case. The passage neither accepts nor rejects Gallagher’s explanation — it simply presents it. The correct answer should reflect this overall structure — a puzzling historical fact and one scholar’s attempt to explain it.

Answer Choice Evaluation

(A) Trace the historical roots of a modern sociopolitical movement

Tracing the historical roots of a movement would mean following how it originated and developed over time. The passage does touch on the origins of feminism but that is not what it is primarily doing. The passage is focused on explaining a specific puzzle — why early feminist women were Royalists — not on tracing the historical development of feminism as a movement. Incorrect.

(B) Present one scholar’s explanation for a puzzling historical phenomenon

The passage presents a puzzling historical fact and then spends the second paragraph presenting Gallagher’s explanation for it. The passage does not evaluate, accept, or reject this explanation — it simply presents it. This captures the overall purpose of the passage accurately. Correct.

(C) Contrast two interpretations of the ideological origins of a political conflict

The passage does mention two explanations — the rejected one in Paragraph 1 and Gallagher’s in Paragraph 2 — but the focus is not on contrasting them. The first explanation is dismissed quickly and the passage moves on to Gallagher’s explanation. Also, the passage is not about the ideological origins of a political conflict — it is about the link between Royalism and feminism. Incorrect.

(D) Establish a link between the ideology of an influential political theorist and that of a notoriously eccentric writer

This describes only the connection between Filmer and Cavendish — which is one detail within Gallagher’s explanation. Even if this link exists in the passage, that is not what the entire passage intends to convey. Incorrect.

(E) Call attention to some points of agreement between opposing sides in an ideological debate

The passage never establishes any points of agreement between Royalists and Parliamentarians. The only mention of their possible similarity is a hypothetical scenario that the author raises and immediately rejects. Incorrect.

Diagnostics

If you rejected B:

You likely did not summarize the passage as a whole before evaluating the choices. Step back and ask — what is the passage doing from start to finish? It presents a puzzle and then presents one scholar’s explanation for it. That is exactly what B says.

If you selected A:

You likely focused on the feminism angle and missed that tracing the roots of a movement means following how it originated and developed over time — which is not what this passage does. The passage is explaining a specific puzzle about why early feminists were Royalists, not charting the development of feminism.

If you selected C, D, or E:

You likely focused on a specific part of the passage rather than its overall purpose. You either did not read the choice carefully or did not summarize the passage correctly before evaluating the choices.

Key Takeaways

1. Carry open questions forward as you read. When the author flags something as odd or puzzling, they will often answer why — do not miss that connection.
2. Respect every qualifier. Words like “almost all,” “generally regarded as,” and “often associated with” are not filler — wrong answer choices are built around ignoring them.
3. For Function/Purpose questions, ask what job that specific sentence is doing at that specific point in the argument — not what it says in isolation.
4. For Inference questions, the correct answer follows from the passage without adding anything new. If a choice requires information the passage does not give, it is wrong regardless of how reasonable it sounds.

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