Mulcahy, in averring that most literary criticism has become
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24 Jan 2023, 21:30
Mulcahy, in averring that most literary criticism has become so filled with abstruse jargon as to be practically indecipherable to anyone save its practitioners, is himself (i) ______: his main point will be discernible only to the very community he seeks to (ii) _____ .
The reflexive pronoun "himself" before the blank indicates that he is guilty of the very crime he accuses the others of. Therefore, complicit is the best word.
ALSO
The part of the sentence after colon informs us of the word for the first blank. The phrase "his main point will be discernible only to the very community", further strengthens complicit as the right choice.
And since he has criticized the practitioners of literary criticism, who are referenced by "very community", the word for the blank must be impugn and not merely inform.