Question

Great comic art is never otherwordly, it does not seek to mystify us, and it does not deny ambiguity by branding as evil whatever differs from good. Great comic artists assume that truth may bear all lights, and thus they seek to accentuate contradictions in social action, not gloss over or transcend them by appeals to extrasocial symbols of divine ends, cosmic purpose, or laws of nature. The moment of transcendence in great comic art is a social moment, born out of the conviction that we are human, even though we try to be gods. The comic community to which artists address themselves is a community of reasoning, loving, joyful, compassionate beings, who are willing to assume the human risks of acting rationally. Without invoking gods or demons, great comic art arouses courage in reason, courage which grows out of trust in what human beings can do as humans.

The passage suggests that great comic art can be characterized as optimistic about the ability of humans to:___________.
(A) rid themselves of pride
(B) transcend the human condition
(C) differentiate clearly between good and evil
(D) avoid social conflicts
(E) act rationally

Answer 1

The passage suggests that great comic art can be characterized as optimistic about the ability of humans to:

(E) act rationally

Step-by-step explanation:

Take a look at this sentence from the passage:

"The comic community to which artists address themselves is a community of reasoning, [...] who are willing to assume the human risks of acting rationally."

According to the author, comic art and artists are optimistic that human beings can act rationally, that they truly have the ability and trust to reason. Even though we like to think or ourselves as gods - infallible, all-knowing, divine -, comic art is able to see through this façade. The façade prevents us from reasoning, from recognizing our nature, but comic art rescues us from that lie.