When he uses the underlined phrase "the inevitable," the author is referring to ____________
When he uses the underlined phrase "the inevitable," the author is referring to ____________
Show Hint
- the discomfort that everyone feels when discussing dreams with other people
- the idea that all dreams contain significant meaning
- the scorn of many important psychologists upon his publication of his work on dreams
- the fact that he had to publish some of his own dreams, which made him uncomfortable
- the gradual loss of detail in what one can remember about a dream
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question
The question asks to identify what the author means by "the inevitable." We must analyze the context in which this phrase appears.
Step 2: Analyzing the Context
The phrase appears in this sequence of sentences:
1. "On the other hand, in discussing my own dreams, I was obliged to expose more of the intimacies of my psychic life than I should like..."
2. "This was painful, but unavoidable; I had to put up with \(\underline{the inevitable}\) in order to demonstrate the truth of my psychological results at all."
The word "This" at the start of the second sentence refers back to the action described in the first sentence. The author states that exposing the "intimacies of my psychic life" (by publishing his own dreams) was "painful, but unavoidable." "The inevitable," therefore, is this unavoidable necessity of self-exposure.
Step 3: Evaluating the Options
(A) the discomfort that everyone feels...: This is too general. The author is referring to his own specific, profound discomfort as a scientific investigator exposing his private life as data.
(B) the idea that all dreams contain significant meaning: This is the author's thesis, not the painful, unavoidable method he had to employ.
(C) the scorn of many important psychologists...: He anticipates criticism, but "the inevitable" refers to an action he had to take, not the reaction of others.
(D) the fact that he had to publish some of his own dreams, which made him uncomfortable: This perfectly matches the context. The act of publishing his own dreams was the "painful, but unavoidable" thing he had to do.
(E) the gradual loss of detail...: This is a feature of dreams but is not what the author is discussing in this specific part of the text.
Step 4: Final Answer
"The inevitable" refers directly to the necessity, as described in the preceding sentence, of exposing his own intimate psychic life through the publication of his dreams, a process he found painful.
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