Ana Castillo’s 1986 novel The Mixquiahuala Letters is a story told entirely through expressive letters from the narrator to her friend—letters that Castillo suggests could be read in several different orders. As they began reading it in class, some students remarked that they found the novel’s letter format daunting and its treatment of gender relations old-fashioned. The professor, however, pointed out that the novel is written in modern-sounding language and addresses issues that still matter today, suggesting that The Mixquiahuala Letters ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
Explanation
Context: Students found The Mixquiahuala Letters daunting (letter format) and its gender themes OLD-FASHIONED. The professor countered: it's written in MODERN-SOUNDING LANGUAGE and addresses issues that STILL MATTER TODAY. The blank draws the implication of the professor's counter.
Answer: B) is more relevant to contemporary audiences than it may seem at first...
Why? Students' initial reaction (daunting, old-fashioned) vs. professor's points (modern language, still-relevant issues) = the novel appears less relevant than it actually is. B captures this gap between first impression and actual contemporary relevance.
Traps:
- A) has more to say about gender than other period novels → professor doesn't compare it to other novels from the same period
- C) easier to read than contemporary friendship-focused novels → the professor addresses relevance, not reading ease compared to other novels
- D) best understood after multiple readings in different orders → the passage mentions this reading structure but the professor's point is about relevance, not reading strategy