GATE 2017 EE (EE2) – Question 6
“We lived in a culture that denied any merit to literary works, considering them important only when they were handmaidens to something seemingly more urgent — namely ideology. This was a country where all gestures, even the most private, were interpreted in political terms.” Which word reveals the author’s belief that ideology is less important than literature?
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Correct answer: (B) seemingly
Explanation
“Seemingly” means apparently, without accepting that the appearance is true. It distances the author from the claim that ideology is more urgent than literature. The words “culture,” “urgent” and “political” identify the setting or subject without expressing that reservation. The intended evaluative signal is **seemingly, B**.