Tolstoy describes the social dimension of art as

• A. A mechanism for social unity by sharing emotions across time and cultures.
• B. A device that isolates communities.
• C. Merely a private experience with no public impact.
• D. A historical record with no influence on society.

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is that art functions socially by transferring genuine feeling to others, creating shared experience across people and cultures. Tolstoy argues that true art communicates emotion in a way that makes others feel it too, forming a sense of connection that transcends time and place. This view is best captured by describing art as a mechanism for social unity through the sharing of emotions across generations and cultures. Art isn’t about isolating communities, staying private with no public impact, or existing only as a historical record without influence; those ideas clash with the sense that art brings people together through shared feeling. A painting, piece of music, or song can evoke similar emotional responses in diverse audiences, demonstrating how art can knit society together.