Though he left us with numerous great works and, to be sure, is widely regarded as America‘s first internationally renowned author, Washington Irving‘s sometimes enigmatic tendencies and techniques have left literary critiques and academics to ponder his motives more than 140 years after his death. One such trait that raises the proverbial eyebrow of the community of readers and critiques is Irving‘s repeated, and varied, use of pseudonyms throughout his career.

Which of the following can be inferred from the information in the passage?

A. Irving never wrote under his own name.
B. All great authors have some eccentricities related to them.
C. Several centuries have passed since Irving died.
D. Irving was criticized by people of his time for writing under different pseudonyms.
E. There are aspects of Irving’s personality that remain unexplained.

Aristotle