Question

review the passage. the simile is shown in bold.
as i was waiting, a man came out of a side room, and at a glance i was sure he must be long john. he was very tall and strong, with a face as big as a ham—plain and pale, but intelligent and smiling. indeed, he seemed in the most cheerful spirits, whistling as he moved about among the tables, with a merry word or a slap on the shoulder for the more favored of his guests.
from robert louis stevenson, treasure island
what is the effect of the simile on the passages meaning or tone?
it indicates long johns friendly personality.
it illustrates long johns big appetite.
it highlights long johns impressive physical stature.

Explanation:

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using "as" or "like". In the passage, "a face as big as a ham" compares the size of Long John's face to a ham. The prior description "He was very tall and strong" sets the context of physical stature. The simile further emphasizes the physical aspect (size - related) of Long John. It has no direct connection to indicating personality (the personality is shown through "intelligent and smiling", "whistling", "a merry word or a slap on the shoulder") or appetite (no mention of eating or food - related behavior tied to appetite).

Answer:

It highlights Long John's impressive physical stature.