Which one of the following is most strongly suggested by the information in the passage?
DavidClimberon June 24, 2020
How do we get the answer choice D?
The big issue here is that we can hardly find out any clue in the passage indicates that the answer choice D is the correct one. Mind providing us the clues?
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The question stem asks us to select the answer choice which is most strongly supported by the information provided to us in the passage.
Answer choice (A) is incorrect because Mphahlele does not recognize a sharp distinction between the two forms of writing. The final paragraph tells us that Mphahlele is not interested in establishing guidelines to distinguish autobiography from fiction and that he believes that the purpose of writing is not about classification, but rather about the transmission of important ideas regardless of form (lines 41 to 43; lines 51 to 58).
Answer choice (B) is incorrect because this is not supported by the passage. We know that Mphahlele himself believes that failure to write a social criticism renders you irrelevant (lines 51 to 58). We also learn that the author believes that those who focus on categorizing Mphahlele's work under traditional labels invariably miss the ways in which Mphahlele uses different forms and styles to promote his social message (lines 12 to 17). However, this does not mean that Mphahlele's social vision is irrelevant to these critics. One can attempt to categorize a literary work in a traditional category and still appreciate and consider the social vision that said work advances.
Answer choice (C) is incorrect because there is no evidence in the passage to support this. We learn that some critics try to categorize Mphahlele's work within traditional categories, but the passage does not tell us why these critics try to do so.
Answer choice (E) is incorrect because the author does not outline what elements must be included in novels vs. autobiographies. They simply highlight the shortcomings of focusing too heavily on categorization of Mphahlele's works.
Finally, the support for answer choice (D) is hidden but can be found in lines 35 to 40. The author believes that Mphahlele "wonderfully articulate[s] his vision of the future," but notes that many critics critique the lack of a road map provided by Mphahlele to reach said vision. As this social vision is largely the focus of all Mphahlele's works, it can be inferred that more critics might accept Mphahlele's vision if he were to provide a road map to realizing it.
Hope this is helpful! Please let us know if you have any further questions.
