Question

Read the excerpt from The Old Town by Jacob Riis and answer the question that follows.

The waves beat upon the causeway and were carried across it in a pelting rain that stung like whip-lashes. In water halfway to our waists, in utter darkness and numbed with cold, we groped our way toward the lights of the town scarce a hundred yards away.

How does the use of the simile in bold enhance the meaning of the passage?

It compares the darkness to waves of rain.
It specifies how far it is from the town to the causeway.
It clarifies how deep the water was the character was wading in.
It provides imagery so that the reader understands the severity of the weather conditions.

Answer 1

It provides imagery so that the reader understands the severity of the weather conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Bolded text: "a pelting rain that stung like whip-lashes."

Or if you by some chance got "The waves beat upon the causeway and were carried across", that could be It specifies how far it is from the town to the causeway.

Or if u got "In water halfway to our waists" then It clarifies how deep the water was the character was wading in.

Or if you got " in utter darkness and numbed with cold, we groped our way toward the lights of the town scarce a hundred yards away." It compares the darkness to waves of rain. Or smth.

But the main answer is "It provides imagery so that the reader understands the severity of the weather conditions."

Answer 2

The use of the simile enhances the meaning by providing vivid imagery of the severe weather conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The use of the simile in bold enhances the meaning of the passage by providing imagery so that the reader understands the severity of the weather conditions. The comparison of the rain to whip-lashes helps convey the idea that the rain was intense and painful. This description paints a vivid picture of the challenging and harsh conditions the character is experiencing.

Learn more about Simile in Jacob Riis' The Old Town