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Difficulty: EasyFigurative Language and Figures of Speech in Context

Read the passage excerpt below:

"As night fell over the abandoned village, hunger began to gnaw at the stranded travelers, forcing them to search for wild berries in the dark."

What does the figurative expression "hunger began to gnaw at" mean in this context?

  1. A
    Wild animals in the forest began physically biting the travelers.
  2. The travelers experienced persistent, distressing discomfort from severe hunger.Answer
  3. C
    The travelers chewed slowly on their remaining dry food items.
  4. D
    The travelers panicked and lost all hope of finding their way back.

Answer

The expression means that the travelers experienced persistent, distressing discomfort from severe hunger.
The phrase 'hunger began to gnaw at' is a metaphorical expression where hunger is described as if it were biting persistently. In context, it conveys that the travelers were experiencing continuous, biting discomfort caused by extreme lack of food.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the figurative expression in the passage.
The target expression is 'hunger began to gnaw at the stranded travelers'.
Pinpointing the target phrase is necessary for contextual analysis.
2
Analyze the figurative language technique used.
The author uses personification/metaphor by attributing the action of 'gnawing' (biting or nibbling continuously) to the abstract feeling of hunger.
Recognizing the figurative mechanism helps uncover the non-literal meaning.
3
Determine the contextual meaning of the phrase.
In this context, it describes the persistent, biting stomach pain and intense discomfort associated with prolonged lack of food.
Connecting the metaphor back to the physical reality of the situation gives the accurate contextual interpretation.

Key Concept

Interpreting Metaphor and Personification in Context
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Topics

Figurative Language and Figures of Speech in Context

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