Question

Text 1: Literary critic Marcus Cole asserts that author Evelyn Waugh’s novels are primarily nihilistic, arguing that the characters in his books show no signs of moral growth or redeeming human connection. Cole believes the lack of a clear, positive moral compass in the protagonists proves that Waugh viewed humanity as entirely degenerate and hopeless.
Text 2: While characters in Evelyn Waugh’s Vile Bodies often display reckless behavior, suggesting an absence of morality overlooks the profound, implicit critique of a vapid society. The characters are not inherently evil; they are trapped in a world that has already lost its moral foundation, and their lack of traditional growth is a deliberate, tragic commentary on the era, not a celebration of it.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the claim made by Cole in Text 1?
A) The characters’ behavior is not intended to represent a total lack of morality but rather a specific social critique.
B) The novels are not actually popular, making the claim about moral growth irrelevant.
C) Cole fails to understand that the characters do, in fact, show significant moral growth.
D) Waugh was a nihilist, but only in his personal life, not in his writing.

Answer 1

A) The characters’ behavior is not intended to represent a total lack of morality but rather a specific social critique.