The answer should be D because the word "was" almost always makes the sentence past tense. (Im sorry if this is not correct but it should be, Im not the smartest cup of tea)
One example of figurative language in the excerpt from Grendel is hyperbole. Hyperbole is when a statement is exaggerated or not meant to be taken literally.
Elie won't be a child, and his father will not be an old man. This man saved their lives, and another inmate berates them for not getting away sooner. They are stuck now. The sorting is one of the most tragic events that befalls Elie and his father.