The author opens the passage by outlining the proponents' view that Modernist architecture more accurately reflected the 20th century's functional spirit and was better suited to newer building methods. The author then highlights the irony that the Modern "Movement fostered an ideology of design that proved to be at odds with the way buildings were really built" (lines 7 to 9).
In the second paragraph, the author tells us that Modernism was not very popular with the public; architects sought to persuade their clients of the benefits of Modernism. By 1945, this trend led Modernism to become mainstream and eventually dominate architectural criticism.
Finally, the author explains that Modernism fell out of favour due largely to the evolution of the building industry. In the final sentence of the passage, the author concludes that "the unwillingness of architects of the Modern Movement to abandon their ideals contributed to the decline of interest in the Modern Movement."
Now let's run through some phrases which highlight the author's feelings about the proponents of the Modern Movement.
Line 10 - Modernist architects "tenacious[ly] adhere[d]" to their ideology
Lines 17 to 19 - Modernist architects were "not content merely to interpret the needs of the client, these architects now sought to persuade, to educate, and, if necessary, to dictate."
Lines 31 to 36 - "The decline of the Modern Movement later in the twentieth century occurred partly as a result of Modernist architects' ignorance of building methods, and partly because Modernist architects were reluctant to admit that their concerns were chiefly aesthetic."
It is clear that the author's attitude towards the proponents of the Modern Movement is not positive. Therefore, we can eliminate answer choice (B) because they do not defend the proponents' views.
We can also eliminate answer choice (E) because the author clearly has an opinion about the proponents of the Modern Movement; they are not indifferent.
We can eliminate answer choice (A) because the author's attitude is neither patient nor restrained (synonyms of forbearing).
This leaves us with answer choices (C) and (D). The phrases above are not strong enough to suggest that the author is exasperated with the proponents; however, we can conclude that the author is at least unimpressed with their rigid adherence to their ideology despite its practical and financial limitations.
Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any further questions.
