What is the “So What?” in this essay?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: What is the “So What?” in this essay?

Option 1: '[P]erhaps the most extraordinary thing about this ability [to think about things that aren’t real all the time] is that we can use it to nudge the impossible into the realm of the real'
- This option points to a meta-analytical takeaway about the purpose or impact of thinking about unreal or hypothetical concepts, i.e., how such thinking can translate into real-world possibilities. If the essay is about the value or function of imaginative thought, this aligns with a typical “So what?” conclusion that connects abstract capability to concrete outcomes.
- It highlights a causal link: from thinking about the unreal to making the unreal real, which would be a central, provocative takeaway suitable for a So What question.

Option 2: 'One of the strangest things about the human mind is that it can reason about unreasonable things.'
- This makes a general observation about human cognition rather than a concluding implication or application derived from the essay’s main argument. It serves more as an opening or descriptive statement than a downstream, action-oriented takeaway.
- The phrase sounds like a general claim about reasoning rather than a specific consequence or significance the essay wants readers to internalize, which is typical of a So What? that states a payoff or relevance.

Option 3: 'In the fourth century B.C., several hundred years after the advent of harpies and some two millennia before the emergence of dementors, Aristotle sat down to do some thinking about supernatural occurrences in literature.'
- This option introduces a historical framing that seems more like an introductory contextualization than a concluding, essay-wide takeaway. It does not articulate the essay’s impact, significance, or main claim drawn from the argument.
- It may function as a humorous or rhetorical flourish, but as a So What? statement it falls short because it doesn’t convey the essay’s central relevance to the reader.

Option 4: 'Taken together, Disney’s foundation of fact and Coleridge’s semblance of truth suggest a good starting place for any Unified Theory of the Plausibility of Supernatural Beings: the more closely such creatures hew to the real world, the more likely we are to deem them believable.'
- This option synthesizes sources (Disney and Coleridge) into a broader theoretical stance about plausibility, offering a specific evaluative rule that could function as a practical takeaway. It implies how the argument could generalize to evaluating believability, which is a plausible So What for an essay dealing with realism and credibility in supernatural storytelling.
- However, depending on the essay’s actual focus, this might be more of a methodological or theoretical implication rather than the direct So What the author intends. If the essay’s core claim is about imagination turning into real-world potential, this option may overextend by proposing a unified theory framework.

Notes on potential misconceptions:
- Option 2’s general observation could be mistaken for the So What if readers expect a concrete impact or application; it lacks a direct bridge to real-world significance.
- Option 3 is likely to be misleading as a So What because it focuses on a historical vignette instead of the essay’s core consequence or takeaway for readers.
- Option 4 provides a concrete and provocative link to plausibility and believability but might assume a broader argumentative frame than the essay actually presents; if the essay’s aim is more about imaginative processes than about building a theory of plausibility, this could misstate the intended takeaway.
- Option 1 directly emphasizes the transformative potential of thinking about the unreal, offering a crisp So What about turning imagination into real possibilities, which typically resonates as the core relevance in essays about thinking beyond reality.

In summary, option 1 presents a concrete, forward-looking consequence of the discussed ability, aligning with a typical So What in essays that argue for the practical power of imaginative or hypothetical thought. The other options either offer descriptive statements, historical framing, or a broader theoretical claim that may or may not reflect the essay’s intended concluding emphasis.

Su25 EWRT D001A 56Z, 57Z Composition And Reading Quiz Class 7

What is the “So What?” in this essay?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

The main argument for your entire paper is called the _______ .

Question at position 4 What is the purpose of the thesis statement in the introduction of an essay?To provide background information To state the main argument of the essayTo list the references To summarise the conclusion

Which of these is the thesis?

Where is the thesis statement most likely to be located in an essay?

This is a good thesis statement: I think that being happy is a mindset that some people are able to use easily, but which other people must work a bit more to maintain.

The thesis statement should be a strong statement of fact.

The thesis statement can be a roadmap; that is, it can tell the reader exactly what ideas the writer will cover in the essay.

More Practical Tools for International Students

Exam Browser Assistant

Stylized Writing Assistant

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation Assistant

In-Class Translation Assistant

Class Notes Assistant

Quiz Search Assistant

Past Exam Questions by School

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler