Question

question 4 of 10
what device is twain using when he says he was \left in obscurity and misery\ when the boy went away to become an apprentice engineer?

a. dialect

b. sarcasm

c. understatement

d. hyperbole

Explanation:

To determine the device, analyze each option:

• A. Dialect: Involves regional language, not relevant here.
• B. Sarcasm: Uses irony for mockery; the phrase does not mock.
• C. Understatement: Downplays, but “obscurity and misery” exaggerates, not understates.
• D. Hyperbole: Exaggerates for effect. Saying being “left in obscurity and misery” when a boy becomes an apprentice engineer is an overstatement (exaggeration) to emphasize feelings, fitting hyperbole.

Answer:

D. Hyperbole