Cultural authority

Question

Theorists of the novel commonly define the genre as a biographical form that came to prominence in the late eighteenthn and nineteenth centuries to establish the individual character as a replacement for traditional sources of cultural authority.

I failed to interpret the underlined phrase alone.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Culture - "the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively." Culture is the combined rules and/or ideas of acceptable behavior in an area. Culture tells us what is ok to wear, how to act, and is basically the values or morals of a community.

Authority - "the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and

Authority - "the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience." A government official has authority given to them by the law. A person who knows a lot about a subject and has spent a lot of time researching the subject might also be considered "an authority" on the subject. If I spent 20 years researching maple trees, I might become known as an authority on maple trees.

This text seems to be saying: In novels, the "individual character" is replacing the "traditional sources" as a cultural authority. The moral messages of the novel are being controlled and expressed by the individual character, making them the source of cultural authority in the novel.

Cultural authority

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