Question

select the allusion in the passage.
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

Explanation:

An allusion is a reference to a well - known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. In the given passage, "Herculean task" is an allusion. It refers to the mythological figure Hercules (Heracles in Greek mythology) who was known for his great strength and the many difficult labors he performed. By using the term "Herculean task", the author is suggesting that the task of attacking the mass of granite (even by mining) is extremely difficult, just as the labors of Hercules were.

Answer:

Herculean task