Question

which paragraph in the section \his mysterious death\ best supports the central idea that poes life and death were perceived to be as mysterious as his own writings?
a
shortly after his passing, poes reputation was badly damaged by his literary adversary rufus griswold. griswold, who had been sharply criticized by poe, took his revenge in his obituary of poe, portraying the gifted yet troubled writer as a mentally deranged drunkard and womanizer. he also penned the first biography of poe, which helped cement some of those misconceptions in the publics mind.
b
at the time, it was said that poe died of \congestion of the brain.\ but his actual cause of death has been the subject of endless speculation. some experts believe that alcoholism led to his death, while others offer alternative theories. rabies, epilepsy and carbon monoxide poisoning are just some of the conditions thought to have led to the great writers demise.
c
while he never had financial success in his lifetime, poe became one of americas most enduring writers. his works are as compelling today as they were more than a century ago. a bright, imaginative thinker, poe crafted stories and poems that still shock, surprise and move modern readers.
d
poe was overcome by grief after the death of his beloved virginia in 1847. while he continued to work, he suffered from poor health and struggled financially. his final days remain a mystery. he left richmond on september 27, 1849, and was supposedly on his way to philadelphia. on october 3, poe was found in baltimore in great distress. he was taken to washington college hospital, where he died on october 7. his last words were \lord, help my poor soul.\

Explanation:

The central idea is about Poe's life and death being mysterious. Paragraph B focuses on the mystery of his death - the initial claim of "congestion of the brain" and the various speculative causes (alcoholism, rabies, etc.). This directly ties into the mystery aspect. Paragraph A is about reputation damage, C is about his literary legacy, and D is more about his final days' events but not as strongly on the mystery of cause of death as B.

Answer:

B. At the time, it was said that Poe died of "congestion of the brain." But his actual cause of death has been the subject of endless speculation. Some experts believe that alcoholism led to his death, while others offer alternative theories. Rabies, epilepsy and carbon monoxide poisoning are just some of the conditions thought to have led to the great writer's demise.