Which statement claims father-son relationships and suffering are central to the plot?

Which statement claims father-son relationships and suffering are central to the plot?

• A. Richard Jenkyns
• B. Bob Cowan
• C. Damien Nelis
• D. Philip Hardie

Answer: (C)

The main idea being tested is which scholar argues that father–son bonds and suffering propel the plot. Damien Nelis is the one who makes that claim, viewing the epic’s momentum as rooted in the duties and trials of family ties—Aeneas’s obligations to Anchises and to Ascanius—and in the pain, exile, and losses that shape his decisions. This reading centers kinship and hardship as the driving forces of the narrative, rather than focusing primarily on political aims or formal aspects emphasized by other scholars. So, Nelis’ stance best fits the description in the question.

The main idea being tested is which scholar argues that father–son bonds and suffering propel the plot. Damien Nelis is the one who makes that claim, viewing the epic’s momentum as rooted in the duties and trials of family ties—Aeneas’s obligations to Anchises and to Ascanius—and in the pain, exile, and losses that shape his decisions. This reading centers kinship and hardship as the driving forces of the narrative, rather than focusing primarily on political aims or formal aspects emphasized by other scholars. So, Nelis’ stance best fits the description in the question.