Answer:
c. the actions of the colonists are foolish and ineffective
Explanation:
The colonialist of the excerpt were trying to find a solution to a problem that did not exist, therefore needed no solving. The rock wasn't in the way of the railroad, still, they were unsuccessfully trying to blow it. It does sound like a silly behavior.
D. "It gives readers a concrete picture of the quality of the silence." My bad i placed my answer in the wrong place at first.
The correct answer is option A "even the ice hard heart of hades melted". Hyperbole is a literary figure that uses exaggeration in order to add emphasizes to a statement. Hyperboles are not meant to be taken literally, in this example the heart of Hades did not melted literally but this phrase was used to add emphasizes to the situation.
