Question

Matilda describes Pernilla Ogilvie as "sail[ing] across the room like a man-of-war." How does this simile reveal Mattie's attitude toward Mrs. Ogilvie?

Answer 1

Simile or Comparison: it is a rhetorical figure that consists in comparing a real term with an imaginary one that resembles it in some quality.

Step-by-step explanation:

The one that matilda describes pernilla as a warship walking around the room, is making her interlocutor see that pernilla is has a strong temperament and a rigid and dominant character, that he is alert, ready for war to ignite discord before any signs of alarm or suspicion.