Question

Read the following passage, in which the sentences are numbered.

[1] In the mid-twentieth century, the New Critics transformed literary analysis by insisting that a text must be evaluated solely as a self-contained aesthetic object, divorced from its historical context. [2] Contemporary historicist scholars, however, frequently condemn this formalism for imposing an ideological sterility upon literature, arguing that ignoring sociopolitical contexts strips works of their moral resonance. [3] While these contemporary critiques accurately identify the limitations of attempting to isolate a text from its era, they fundamentally misapprehend the New Critics' actual legacy. [4] Ultimately, the enduring significance of the New Critical movement resides not in its flawed theoretical premise of the autonomous text, but rather in its creation of a rigorous, standardized methodology of close reading that even its most ardent historicist detractors unknowingly depend upon. [5] By establishing precise analytical tools for examining paradox and tension within a text, the New Critics forged a methodological infrastructure that makes all sophisticated modern literary analysis possible. [6] Indeed, when modern historicists analyze how a nineteenth-century novel subverts contemporary political ideologies through its use of subtle irony, they are directly employing the very mechanical tools the New Critics invented. [7] The pervasive nature of this methodological reliance demonstrates that the analytical vocabulary of New Criticism has completely transcended the theoretical framework that originally birthed it.

Based on the passage, which sentence explicitly states the author's main point? (Enter the sentence number)