Sentence Correction

The work of short fiction writer Charles Chesnutt reflects characteristic interests of his contemporary "local colorsists" as much as the intellectual ferment and historical reassessments of Black American culture during the late 19th century.

A - as much as the intellectual ferment and historical reassessments of Black American culture during the late 19th century.

B - as much as it did the intellectual ferment and historical reassessments of Black American culture during the late 19th century.


C- as much as it had reflected the intellectual ferment and historical reassessments of Black American culture during the late 19th century.


D - as much as it was reflective and characteristic of the intellectual ferment and historical reassessments of Black American culture during the late 19th century.


E- as much as it does the intellectual ferment and historical reassessments of Black American culture during the late 19th century.

The correct answer is (E).

I chose (A) because I thought the idiom (reflects X as much as Y) was used correctly in (A) where as in choice (E) the "it does" was redundant.
Is it because of "the" in front of "intellectual ferment" that it is not parallel with "characteristic interests"?