Question

10. Please refer to Story A2 and answer the following question. Which of the following provides the best definition of the term avant-garde as the author intends it in the passage?

a. Unintelligible
b. Innovative
c. Foreign
d. High-brow

Story A2
The English language premiere of Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot took place in London
in August 1955. Godot is an avant-garde play with only five characters (not including Mr. Godot,
who never arrives) and a minimal setting: one rock and one bare tree. The play has two acts;
the second act repeats what little action occurs in the first with few changes: The tree, for
instance, acquires one leaf. In a statement that was to become famous, the critic, Vivian
Mercer, has described Godot as "a play in which nothing happens twice." Opening night, critics
and playgoers greeted the play with bafflement and derision. The line, "Nothing happens,
nobody comes, nobody goes. It's awful," was met by a loud rejoinder of "Hear! Hear!" from an
audience member. _____________________________________. However, Harold Hobson's
review in The Sunday Times managed to recognize the play for what history has proven it to be,
a revolutionary moment in theater.

Answer 1

The option that provides the best definition of the term avant-garde as the author intends it in the passage is (b.) innovative.

Avant-garde is a term taken from French that is used to refer to new ideas that are introduced in fields such as music or literature. It is a concept that is mainly connected to artists that are ahead of their time and also to innovative works of art, especially those that were produced during the 20th century. In this case, avant-garde has been used to describe Waiting for Godot since the play appeared to be radically original when it was premiered due to its characters, settings and themes.