The correct answer is “it’s” because it combines it is
It is a cabinet containg the cards of a librabry depicting where certain books are placed.
This question is actually a matter of opinion. Some would say he shows strength by knowing he has to sacrifice six of his men when he has already lost so many. They say it shows he's a strong character and a determined leader. That he's willing to sacrifice anything for his cause. That's a very strong character trait. Some, however, would say it shows he's weak. Not only did he know it wouldn't be him who died, he also didn't tell his remaining men. He let six of them die. He knew they would and he did not say anything. I guess whatever side you take is up to you.
Before answering the question, it is convenient to mention that James Baldwin was a Black writer in the decade of the 50s and even though there were other Negro Writers in the literary world, they all suffered from racisms and social prosecution, the novel “Notes of a native Son” is close to an autobiography assembled from essays James Baldwin had written. In the novel the author intends to depict the hatred black people had to suffer at that time.
The figurative device that Baldwin uses to emphasize the rage buried beneath his father's outward appearance and actions is:
The paradox “vindictively polite.”
Here the word "vindictive" is expressing the inner rage that was beneath his father outward appearance, and the word "polite" expresses the overt emotions or actions.