Who among the following posits the tradition of great writers as an inescapable fact, and takes the ambivalent position of considering it as both a blessing and a curse?

Correct option is A

Explanation:
Harold Bloom, in his seminal work The Anxiety of Influence (1973), explores the relationship between poets and their precursors.
He contends that literary tradition is both a blessing, as it offers a wealth of inspiration, and a curse, as it creates "anxiety" in newer writers who struggle to assert their originality.
This concept is central to Bloom's idea of the "agon" or struggle between poets and their literary ancestors.

Information Booster:
Harold Bloom and the Anxiety of Influence:
Bloom asserts that strong writers feel the "anxiety" of being overshadowed by their literary forebears. This tension inspires them to reinterpret and "misread" the works of their predecessors to create space for their originality.
While traditions enrich creative expression, they also create pressure for newer writers to either emulate or subvert established norms.
Bloom outlines six strategies (e.g., clinamen, tessera) that poets use to respond to and revise the influence of their predecessors.
Criticism: Critics of Bloom argue that his theory is male-centric and overlooks contributions by female and minority writers.
Bloom’s Other Works:
The Western Canon (1994): Advocates for the preservation of the traditional literary canon.
Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human (1998): Positions Shakespeare as the central figure in Western literature.

Additional Knowledge:
Although Eliot’s essay Tradition and the Individual Talent (1919) also discusses the relationship between writers and tradition, his focus is more on impersonality and the collective literary heritage than on personal struggle or anxiety.
Tate was a member of the Southern Agrarians and focused on formalist criticism, not on the psychological aspects of literary tradition.
Leavis emphasized moral seriousness and critical evaluation of literature, advocating for a rigorous study of tradition, but did not explore the ambivalent relationship highlighted by Bloom.