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Difficulty: MediumCentral Ideas

Samuel Johnson’s 1755 *Dictionary of the English Language* is often celebrated as a monumental achievement in codifying English vocabulary and stabilizing spelling. However, literary historian Helen Deutsch argues that the project was less an exercise in objective linguistic recording and more a deliberate effort to establish the cultural authority of the rising middle class. Johnson selected quotations almost exclusively from authors who aligned with his own political and religious views, thereby elevating their vocabulary while marginalizing vernacular forms of speech. Thus, the dictionary functioned as a socio-political tool disguised as a neutral reference book.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

  1. A
    Dictionaries created in the eighteenth century were primarily used by the rising middle class to establish political dominance.
  2. B
    Johnson’s dictionary was a monumental achievement that successfully stabilized English spelling and codified vocabulary for the first time.
  3. Rather than being a purely objective linguistic record, Johnson's dictionary was designed to advance particular cultural and social interests.Answer
  4. D
    Johnson chose to exclude vernacular speech forms because he believed they were grammatically inferior and threatened the survival of the English language.

Answer

Rather than being a purely objective linguistic record, Johnson's dictionary was designed to advance particular cultural and social interests.
The correct option correctly identifies the main idea of the passage: while Samuel Johnson's dictionary is traditionally seen as a neutral and objective linguistic achievement, it actually served to promote specific social, political, and cultural interests.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary transition and argument shift in the text.
The word 'However' introduces Helen Deutsch's counterargument to the traditional celebration of Johnson's dictionary.
Recognizing where the author's primary argument begins helps isolate the main idea from introductory context.
2
Analyze the core claim made by the literary historian.
Deutsch argues that the dictionary was a 'deliberate effort to establish the cultural authority of the rising middle class' and a 'socio-political tool disguised as a neutral reference book.'
This establishes that the text is primarily focused on the social and cultural motivations behind the dictionary's design.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that synthesizes this central point.
The option stating that the dictionary was designed to advance particular cultural and social interests rather than being a purely objective record is the correct choice.
It accurately reflects both the contrast established in the text and its ultimate conclusion.

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Central Ideas
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