Question

1. why is a literary author’s purpose sometimes tricky to identify?

some authors get confused and change purposes midway.
some authors do not really have a purpose for writing.
the author may express a purpose subtly or indirectly.
the author may be just pretending to have a purpose.

Explanation:

To determine why a literary author’s purpose is sometimes tricky to identify, we analyze each option:

• Option 1 (Some authors get confused...): Focuses on author confusion, not on why identification is tricky for readers.
• Option 2 (Some authors do not really have...): Assumes authors lack purpose, which is not the main reason for difficulty in identification.
• Option 3 (The author may express a purpose subtly or indirectly): If an author’s purpose is subtle/indirect, readers will find it hard to identify, which aligns with the question.
• Option 4 (The author may be just pretending...): Implies deception, which is less likely the primary reason for difficulty in identifying purpose.

Answer:

The option "The author may express a purpose subtly or indirectly." (the second - from - left option, assuming the options are ordered from right to left as first: "Some authors get confused...", second: "Some authors do not really have...", third: "The author may express a purpose subtly or indirectly.", fourth: "The author may be just pretending...")