Question

review the passage. the simile is shown in bold.

oh! but he was a tight - fisted hand at the grindstone, scrooge! hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire. the cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait. a frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. he carried his own low temperature always about with him.

from charles dickens, a christmas carol

what is the effect of the simile on the passages meaning or tone?

it illustrates scrooges intelligence.

it indicates scrooges attention to detail.

it illustrates scrooges unfriendly personality.

Explanation:

The simile "Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire" compares Scrooge to flint. Flint is hard, sharp, and unyielding, and the fact that no generous fire comes from it implies a lack of warmth or generosity. This aligns with an unfriendly personality, while intelligence or attention to detail are not conveyed by this simile.

Answer:

It illustrates Scrooge's unfriendly personality.