Read the passage and answer the questions:
The explanation of a work is always sought in the man or woman who produced it, as if it were always, in the end, through the voice of a single person that literature spoke: through the voice of a single person and the imprints of his or her passions. The image of literature that we seek to sustain is tyrannically centered on the author, his life, his history, and his intentions. But to give a text an Author is to impose a limit on that text, to furnish it with a final signified, to close the writing. Such a conception is born of the rationalist and capitalist ideologies that have placed the individual at the center of history, emphasizing his authority and coherence. Yet, in reality, writing is a destruction of every voice, of every point of origin. Writing begins at the moment the Author is set aside, and language speaks—not the Author.
To refuse the Author is not to refuse meaning, but to refuse the tyranny of a single, authoritative meaning. The text, instead, becomes a space of multiple interpretations, where meaning is neither fixed nor final. The unity of a text is not located in its origin but in its destination; it is the reader, not the Author, who gives meaning to a text. This radical displacement shifts the power from the creator to the interpreter, from the supposed intention of the writer to the infinite play of signifiers within the text itself.
What is the best synonym for "inherent" in this sentence?
"The notion of 'the Author' is a construct of cultural expectation rather than an inherent necessity of literature."
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
Natural
Explanation
To find the correct synonym, look at how the word is used in the context of the sentence:
Context Clues: The sentence contrasts a "construct of cultural expectation" (something artificially created by society over time) with an "inherent necessity" (something that is a basic, essential, and fundamental part of literature by its very nature).
Definition: Inherent means existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute. Among the choices provided, "Natural" is the closest match because it refers to a quality that is built-in or fundamental, rather than something added or learned later.
Key Points
Synonym Match: Inherent → Innate, natural, essential, built-in.
Exam Shortcut: Eliminate opposites. "Acquired" is the exact opposite of inherent, while "Optional" and "Imaginary" do not fit the logical contrast of being a fundamental necessity. This leaves "Natural" as the correct choice.