Question

read the excerpt from narrative of the life of frederick douglass.

we were all ranked together at the valuation. men and women, old and young, married and single, were ranked with horses, sheep, and swine. there were horses and men, cattle and women, pigs and children, all holding the same rank in the scale of being, and were all subjected to the same narrow examination. silvery-headed age and sprightly youth, maids and matrons, had to undergo the same indelicate inspection.

douglasss use of imagery in this excerpt appeals to the sense of

sight.
smell.
sound.
touch.

Explanation:

Analyze the excerpt for sensory details

The passage describes a scene where human beings and livestock are grouped together for valuation: "horses, sheep, and swine," "horses and men, cattle and women, pigs and children." It also describes the physical appearance of the people: "Silvery-headed age and sprightly youth." These descriptions create vivid mental pictures of the physical grouping and appearance of the subjects.

Identify the primary sense targeted

The descriptions of different groups of people and animals standing together, along with visual descriptors like "silvery-headed" (describing gray hair), primarily appeal to the reader's visual processing. This helps the reader visualize the scene of the valuation.

Evaluate the multiple-choice options

• sight: Supported by visual descriptions of the groups and "silvery-headed age."
• smell: No descriptions of odors or scents are present in the text.
• sound: No auditory details, noises, or spoken words are described.
• touch: While "narrow examination" and "indelicate inspection" are mentioned, they describe the action of evaluation rather than tactile sensations.

Formulate the final conclusion

The imagery in the excerpt primarily appeals to the sense of sight by painting a clear, vivid picture of humans and animals ranked together.

Answer:

• sight. (Correct answer)
• smell.
• sound.
• touch.