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Difficulty: MediumLiterary Devices, Diction, and Style in Prose

Read the prose extract below:

"To save the village from total destruction, the chief understood that they must surrender their most sacred inheritance to the enemy; only through losing their heritage could they truly preserve their identity."

Which literary device is prominently demonstrated in the statement 'only through losing their heritage could they truly preserve their identity'?

  1. A
    Oxymoron
  2. ParadoxAnswer
  3. C
    Metaphor
  4. D
    Mood

Answer

Paradox
The correct answer is Paradox because the statement presents an apparent contradiction—that losing one's heritage is necessary to preserve identity—which, upon closer reflection, reveals a deeper truth about cultural resilience. This structural self-contradiction containing a hidden truth is the defining feature of a paradox.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the targeted statement within the prose extract.
The statement asserts that 'losing their heritage' is the only way to 'preserve their identity'.
Analyzing the relationship between key concepts in the extract is necessary to identify the stylistic device.
2
Evaluate the nature of the contradiction.
The assertion appears contradictory on the surface, yet expresses a meaningful truth regarding survival.
A full sentence or proposition that seems self-contradictory while conveying an underlying truth is a paradox.

Key Concept

Paradox in Prose
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Literary Devices, Diction, and Style in Prose

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