Final answer:
The author's purpose can range from persuading to informing, entertaining, describing, or explaining, often incorporating rhetorical strategies to challenge or adhere to conventions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author's purpose in a piece of textual content can be multifaceted, including aims such as to persuade, to inform, to entertain, to describe, or to explain an idea, concept, or narrative. The purpose is often intertwined with the author's intent to engage with the audience and provoke thought by meeting or challenging conventional expectations through rhetorical strategies.
In the passage referenced, we can see that the author is engaging with the works of other critics to develop a counter argument, support their interpretation, or add valuable biographical context which can aid in the deeper understanding of a subject. This approach demonstrates the writer's skill in constructing an argument or narrative that is not only grounded in factual evidence, but is also rhetorically effective, perhaps echoing or disputing existing conventions.
The examination of a specific excerpt, such as one from Mark Twain, can offer insight into how an author shapes their purpose and theme through conflict. Here, the writer's purpose may be geared towards explaining Twain's internal conflict and the resulting loss of confidence in a scenario. By focusing on such nuances, the text serves as a passage ripe for analysis, critique, and discussion, essentially inviting the reader to engage with the material in a reflective or critical manner.
Furthermore, a text that communicates cultural ideas using inclusive language indicates the writer's conscious effort to appeal to a broader audience while consciously meeting or challenging conventional expectations. Techniques used by the writer, the context of the times, and the writer's personal influences are all aspects to consider when deciphering the purpose or aim of the work at hand.