Question #N1078
The passage below is from a 1980 book about the history of the early American republic. The author is explaining why, in her view, the concept of the "self-made man" is an important idea to consider when studying the development of the United States.\ \"There is a tendency to regard the self-made man as a kind of American hero. But the self-made man, though he is the product of his own efforts, is also the product of the conditions that made his success possible. The self-made man is not a creation ex nihilo. He is, rather, a product of his time and place.\"
Which choice best describes the central idea of the passage?Correct Answer is: B
The author argues that the self-made man is not a creation ex nihilo, which means that he was not created from nothing. Instead, the self-made man is a product of his time and place. The author is arguing that the self-made man is not simply a product of his own efforts, but he is also shaped by the conditions of his time and place.