The Dialogic Imagination (a collection of essays) develops Bakhtin’s theories about the novel, language, and discourse. The key concepts relevant to this question are:
A. develops theory of Polyphony — TRUE
- Although the most systematic discussion of polyphony (multiple autonomous voices in a text) appears in Problems of Dostoevsky’s Poetics, Bakhtin’s essays in The Dialogic Imagination (especially “Discourse in the Novel”) extend the polyphonic principle to the novel more broadly.
- He discusses heteroglossia as many socio-ideological voices, and how the novel orchestrates them.
Thus, A aligns with the ideas present in this book.
C. postulates that language evolves dynamically — TRUE
- This is central to The Dialogic Imagination.
Bakhtin argues:
- language is never static,
- it is shaped by social forces over time,
- it constantly changes in real interactions.
This is tied to his idea of heteroglossia, where multiple social and historical voices cause language to shift.
Therefore C is correct.
D. argues that language gets affected by the culture that produces it and also helps shape that culture — TRUE
- Bakhtin’s view of language is deeply socio-cultural.
He repeatedly states:
- language is shaped by social, historical, and cultural contexts,
- at the same time, language influences consciousness and culture.
- This is a fundamental assumption of his dialogic theory.
B. postulates that language is imaginary — FALSE
- Bakhtin never describes language as “imaginary.”
E. develops theory of imaginative language — FALSE
- Bakhtin does not create a theory with that name.
So, the correct choices from the options provided are A, C, and D, aligning with answer 2.
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