Question

question 19 of 20
read the following excerpt from mark twains life on the mississippi.

once a day a cheap, gaudy packet arrived upward from st.
louis, and another downward from keokuk. before these
events, the day was glorious with expectancy; after them,
the day was a dead and empty thing.

which comedic technique does this excerpt best illustrate?

a. understatement

b. hyperbole

c. sarcasm

d. irony

Explanation:

To determine the comedic technique, we analyze each option:

• Option A (Understatement): Involves downplaying something, which doesn't fit here as the description is exaggerated.
• Option B (Hyperbole): Uses extreme exaggeration. The excerpt exaggerates the impact of the packet arrivals, describing the day as "glorious with expectancy" before and "dead and empty" after, which is an over-the-top depiction of how the day feels.
• Option C (Sarcasm): Uses irony for mockery, not seen here as there's no mocking tone.
• Option D (Irony): Involves a contrast between expectation and reality, but the excerpt's exaggeration of the day's mood change is more hyperbole than irony.

Answer:

B. Hyperbole