Final answer:
The simile in the first sentence of the second paragraph evokes a sense of the river's peacefulness and nature's beauty.
Step-by-step explanation:
A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things using the words “like” or “as.” The word comes from the Latin “similis” meaning “similar, like.”
They are often used in literature such as poetry or novels, but it is also a device used in film by screenwriters.
The simile in the first sentence of the second paragraph, which compares the Mississippi to scallop-edged waves evokes a sense of the river's peacefulness and nature's beauty.
This literary device paints a picture of the river that is serene and harmonious, a sharp contrast to the human complexities that Mark Twain often explores in his works.
Such imagery suggests that the true expression of American ideals may indeed be most purely observed in the untamed and picturesque landscapes offered by the natural environment around the Mississippi River.