Directions: In this section, you have two short passages. After each passage, you will find some items based on the passage. Read the passage carefully and answer the items based on it. You are required to select your answers based solely on the contents of the passage and the opinion of the author, and indicate your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. Our tragedy today is a general and universal physical fear so long sustained by now that we can even bear it. There are no longer problems of the spirit. There is only the question : When will I be blown up? Because of this, the young man or woman writing today has forgotten the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself which alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and the sweat. He must learn them again. He must teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid; and, teaching himself that, forget it forever, leaving no room in his workshop for anything but the old verities and truths of the heart, the old universal truths lacking which any story is ephemeral and doomed-love and honour and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice. Until he does so, he labours under a curse. He writes not of love but of lust, of defeats in which nobody loses anything of value, of victories without hope and, worst of all, without pity or compassion. His griefs grieve on no universal bones, leaving no scars. He writes not of the heart but of the glands. Until he relearns these things, he will write as though he stood among and watched the end of man. I decline to accept the end of man. It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure that when the last dingdong of doom has clanged and faded from the last worthless rock hanging tideless in the last red and dying evening, that even then there I will still be one more sound : that of his puny inexhaustible voice, still talking. I refuse to accept this. I believe man will not merely endure : he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice.
According to the author, the end of man is untenable because
of his spirit, born of his soul
Understanding the Author's View on the 'End of Man'
This solution delves into the author's perspective presented in the provided passage regarding the concept of the 'end of man'. The author expresses a strong disagreement with the idea that humanity is facing its final end, emphasizing certain core human qualities that ensure survival and resilience.
Passage Analysis: Key Arguments
The author contrasts contemporary writing, which he believes is focused on superficial fears like physical destruction ("When will I be blown up?"), with the timeless themes necessary for profound literature. These essential themes revolve around the "human heart in conflict with itself" and include virtues such as:
- Love
- Honour
- Pity
- Pride
- Compassion
- Sacrifice
He argues that writers neglecting these fundamental aspects produce work that is temporary and lacks lasting value, focusing instead on base instincts ("lust," "glands") rather than the deeper aspects of the human spirit.
The Author's Rejection of the 'End of Man'
The author explicitly states his refusal to accept the notion of humanity's ultimate demise. He envisions a future where, even after civilization's apparent end, a fundamental human element persists. He highlights:
"I decline to accept the end of man. [...] I believe man will not merely endure : he will prevail."
The core reason he provides for this belief is not merely humanity's capacity to survive physical hardships or its persistent voice, but something deeper:
"He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice."
Evaluating the Options
Let's analyze why the 'end of man' is considered untenable according to the author:
| Option | Analysis Based on Passage |
|---|---|
| 1. of his inexhaustible voice | The author explicitly dismisses this reason. He states, "He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice..." Therefore, this is incorrect. |
| 2. of his endurance | While the author mentions man will "endure," endurance itself isn't presented as the ultimate reason for prevailing or being 'immortal'. It's a consequence of the deeper quality he identifies. The passage emphasizes the *source* of this endurance, not endurance alone. |
| 3. of his mortal life | The author argues against the 'end of man', suggesting a form of immortality through spirit. The reason the end is untenable isn't linked to the nature of his mortal life, but rather to qualities that transcend mortality. |
| 4. of his spirit, born of his soul | This option directly aligns with the author's reasoning. He identifies man's "soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice" as the fundamental reason why man will prevail and is, in essence, immortal. This inherent spiritual capacity makes the 'end of man' concept unacceptable to the author. |
Conclusion
The author finds the concept of the 'end of man' untenable primarily because he believes in humanity's inherent resilience, which stems from the soul and the spirit. These qualities enable compassion and sacrifice, allowing mankind not just to endure but to prevail against adversity, ensuring a form of immortality that transcends physical existence or mere persistence of voice.
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