Answer:
<u>to show the extent of his care for his wife and three children.</u>
<u>Explanation:</u>
The author's use of the underlined words paints the fisherman as having a sense of responsibility; meaning he shows deep support for his wife and three children. That is, it <em>emphasizes what truly is most important to the fisherman_his wife and three children.</em>
I think the dominant irony presented in the passage would be :
The Houyhnhnms. the most rational beings on earth, are discussing the extermination of an entire group of creatures.
You can see that in this sentence, the second part of the statement contradict the statement on the first part.
We need the passage in order to know what author's POV is
