Question Details

Read the following passage, and answer the questions that follow: (91-95)
However, faced with this world of faithful and complicated objects, the child can only identify himself as owner. as user, never as creator, he does not invent the world. he uses it: there are. prepared for him, actions without adventure, without wonder, without joy. He is turned into a little stay-at-home householder who does not even have to invent the mainsprings of adult causality: they are supplied to him ready-made: he has only to help himself. he is never allowed to discover anything from start to finish. The merest set of blocks. provided it is not too refined, implies a very different learning of the world: then, the child does not in any way create meaningful objects, it matters little to him whether they have an adult class: the actions he performs are not those of a user but those of a demiurge. He creates forms which walk, which roll, he creates life. not property: objects now act by themselves; they are no longer an inert and complicated material in the palm of his hand. Roland Barthes “Toys” (Excerpt from Mythologies)


In the context of the above passage, which is the closest to being true:

Options

A

Children actively learn while playing

B

Children are objects for toy makers

C

Toys affect the cognitive abilities of the children

D

Children recreate meaning from the toys

Show Answer

Correct Answer :

Option C

Toys affect the cognitive abilities of the children

Solution :

The correct option is: Toys affect the cognitive abilities of the children


Step-by-Step Explanation:

1. Analyze the Premise of the Passage:
The excerpt from Roland Barthes' "Toys" contrasts two types of play experiences based on the nature of the toys provided to a child. The author discusses how modern, pre-fabricated, and "complicated" toys limit the child's role to that of an owner or a mere user, rather than a creator. In this scenario, the child's learning and mental engagement are restricted because "the mainsprings of adult causality... are supplied to him ready-made."

2. Examine the Contrast (Simple vs. Complex Toys):
Conversely, Barthes points out that simpler toys, such as a "set of blocks" (provided they are not too refined), offer a completely different cognitive experience. With simple toys, the child becomes a "demiurge" (a creator or maker), active in shaping forms, creating movement, and breathing life into objects. Here, the objects are no longer "inert and complicated material" but active tools of imagination.

3. Connect to the Correct Option:
The fundamental argument of the passage is that the design and nature of toys directly influence how a child interacts with the world, processes cause and effect, and develops agency. Pre-made toys reduce cognitive effort by providing ready-made solutions, whereas open-ended toys stimulate creative, constructive thinking. Thus, the passage demonstrates that the types of toys given to children directly affect their cognitive abilities, shaping whether they act as passive consumers or active creators.

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