Question

read the excerpt from \fern in cane we walked down the pike with people on all the porches gaping at us. does it make you mad? she meant the row of petty gossiping people. she meant the world. which stylistic element most contributes to the pessimistic tone of this excerpt? the use of varying sentence length the strong diction of gaping the use of the question mark the comparison of gossiping people to the world

Explanation:

The comparison of petty gossiping people to the world creates a pessimistic view of humanity as a whole. Varying sentence - length, the word "gaping", and the question mark do not convey the same level of overall pessimism about the world.

Answer:

the comparison of gossiping people to the world