Read the passage from "Lather and Nothing Else." And so, which will it be? Murderer or hero? My fate hangs on the edge of this razor blade. I can turn my wrist slightly, put a bit more pressure on the blade, let it sink in. The skin will yield like silk, like rubber, like the strop. There is nothing more tender than a man’s skin, and the blood is always there, ready to burst forth. A razor like this cannot fail. It is the best one I have. How does the figurative language in the underlined sentence build a tense mood?
Answer
A
It shows how strong the captain is and how fearful the barber must be.
B
It creates a visual image and shows how easily the barber could hurt the captain.
C
It persuades readers to see the captain’s political point of view.
D
It describes details of an old-fashioned barbershop and creates sympathy for the barber.
Explanation
The comparison of the captain’s skin to silk, rubber, and a razor strop creates a vivid image of the blade pressing into it. These comparisons make the skin seem as though it would give way easily, emphasizing how readily the barber could injure the captain and building suspense. The sentence does not focus on the captain’s political views or the barbershop’s history.
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