Question

Which excerpt from “Good Country People” is the best example of figurative language? The reason for her keeping them so long was that they were . . . good country people. If she don’t get there before the dust settles, you can bet she’s dead, that’s all. She would make these statements, usually at the table, in a tone of gentle insistence as if no one held them but her. It was hard for Mrs. Hopewell to realize that her child was thirty-two now and that for more than twenty years she had had only one leg.

Answer 1

The best example of figurative language in the excerpt of "Good Country People" can be found in:

"If she don’t get there before the dust settles, you can bet she’s dead, that’s all."

The author used a figure of speech called hyperbole, which is a deliberate exaggeration used in order to express intensity and effect. The character expresses her concern by emphasizing how serious it will be if her daughter doesn't arrive at a certain place before the dust settles. "...you can bet she's dead"- she says. Pure exaggeration, typical of overly protective parents.

Answer 2

B. If she don't get there before the dust settles, you can bet she's dead, that's all.