Question jackie
Jackie Ormes’s Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem (1937–38) was the first comic strip by a Black woman to appear in a widely read newspaper. The strip tells the story of Torchy, a young woman who leaves Mississippi to become a performer in California City. Torchy’s story reflects the experience of the Great Migration (1910–1970), when millions of Black Americans left the South in search of opportunities in other parts of the United States. Torchy Brown thus shows how Ormes used comics to comment humorously on issues affecting Black Americans, which she continued to do throughout her career.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To show how Ormes’s Torchy Brown inspired other Black women to write comic strips in the 1930s
To illustrate how the subjects Ormes addressed in her comic strips changed over the course of her career
To give an example of how Ormes presented the experiences of Black Americans in her comic strips
To claim that several characters in Torchy Brown were based on people that Ormes knew personally
Jackie Ormes’s Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem (1937-38) was the first comic strip by a
Medium-difficulty · SAT Reading & Writing · Text Structure and Purpose — Author's purpose. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.
Answer explanation
Choice C is the best answer. The text describes how Torchy Brown depicted the experiences of a young Black woman experiencing America’s Great Migration. It further states that Ormes continued to use comics throughout her career to humorously comment on important issues impacting Black Americans.
Choice A is incorrect. The text never mentions other Black women comic strip writers. Choice B is incorrect. The text never mentions any changes in the subjects Ormes addressed. Choice D is incorrect. The text never mentions the inspiration for characters in Torchy Brown.
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