Final answer:
The modern novel, which focuses on the average person, is made possible after the coming of Christ because Christianity recognizes the value of individuals. This is explained by Prof. Rearick.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question is English.The modern novel, which emphasizes the average person, is only possible after the coming of Christ because Christianity acknowledges the value of a common individual who is neither part god nor remarkably heroic but is, instead, loved and valued by God just as they are. This idea is explained by Prof. Rearick. It also explains why the first autobiography, like Augustine's Confessions, appears only after Christ.
Augustine's significant works, such as The City of God and Confessions, laid the intellectual foundation for appreciating the individual's personal experiences with faith and existence, transitioning from the classical admiration of mythological figures and epic heroes to a focus on personal piety and salvation. This focus on the individual and their spiritual life prepared the ground for later movements, such as Romanticism, which celebrated the ordinary and the subjective in art and literature, further advancing the idea that all people participate in history, not just the elites.