Question

review the passage. the allusion is shown in bold. the engineer had listened to the enthusiastic sailor developing these imaginative projects. to attack this mass of granite, even by mining, was a herculean task, and it was truly vexing that nature had not helped them in their necessity. but he answered pencroff, simply by proposing to examine the wall more attentively, from the mouth of the river to the angle which ended it to the north. from jules verne, journey to the centre of the earth what is the effect of the allusion on the passages meaning or tone? it suggests that the task is a thankless one. it highlights the projects extreme difficulty.

Explanation:

The term "Herculean" alludes to the Greek mythological figure Hercules, who was known for his extraordinary strength and the completion of extremely difficult tasks (the Twelve Labors). In the context of the passage, when it is said that attacking the mass of granite (even by mining) was a "Herculean task", it is using the allusion to draw a parallel. Just as Hercules' labors were arduous and required great effort, this task of attacking the granite is also presented as something that is extremely difficult. It has nothing to do with the task being thankless (no indication of lack of gratitude or recognition in the allusion's usage here). The focus is on the level of difficulty.

Answer:

It highlights the project's extreme difficulty.