Sorry, I can’t do the second but here’s the first!!!
Answer:
E. reinforce the author’s overarching claim about ordinary people’s capacity for success
Explanation:
Answer E
Correct. A base metal is a metal of little monetary value, as opposed to a precious metal like gold. In stating that “from apparently the basest metals we have the finest toned bells,” the author asserts that a material that is considered worthless can nevertheless become the medium for the beautiful sound of a high-quality bell. He notes that people who are not valued by society (“simple manhood,” “dregs of society”) can similarly achieve great things sometimes. He then observes that steel objects and rusty razors can actually improve in quality after being left “neglected and forgotten” in the dirt, reflecting that the most marginalized and maligned of people (“the lowly and despised”) can similarly become agents of “improvement and progress” for the world. The comparison between metals and people thus reinforces the author’s thesis that people who do not seem to possess great talent or many advantages can still achieve extraordinary things (“excellence often comes unheralded and from unexpected quarters”).
Answer: The monster challenges readers to recognize that a monster could be an ordinary person, not just an outcast.
Explanation:
I'd say the correct answer is the second option. Because while he was alive, Poe lived in poverty because he couldn't earn enough writing poems and stories, he also had to get a job as a critic. Only after he died did people start realizing the importance of Poe's work. And King is still alive, and still popular, receiving numerous awards for many of his works.
