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:

• The first option (authors getting confused) is less likely as purpose confusion for the reader, not the author, is more relevant.
• The second option (authors not having a purpose) goes against the idea that authors generally write with intent.
• The fourth option (author pretending) is not a common or primary reason.
• The third option (author expressing purpose subtly/indirectly) is accurate: authors often use implicit methods (e.g., subtext, symbolism) to convey purpose, making it hard to identify directly.

Answer:

The author may express a purpose subtly or indirectly. (The third option from the left, labeled "The author may express a purpose subtly or indirectly.")