Read the excerpt from The Great Gatsby. Then answer the question that follows.
In one of the windows over the garage the curtains had been moved aside a little, and Myrtle Wilson was peering down at the car. So engrossed was she that she had no consciousness of being observed, and one emotion after another crept into her face like objects into a slowly developing picture.
What is the effect of the bolded figurative language device on the passage?
Group of answer choices
The metaphor illustrates the amount of time it took to see the car.
The personification emphasizes the car creeping slowly into the garage.
The simile compares the curtains moving to a picture developing.
The simile illustrates the realization that Myrtle has after peering into the car.
The bolded figurative language device in the passage is a simile. A simile is a figure of speech that compares two things using the words "like" or "as." In this case, the simile compares the movement of the curtains to a picture developing.
To understand the effect of the simile on the passage, we need to consider the context. The passage describes Myrtle Wilson peering down at the car from a window. The simile "like objects into a slowly developing picture" suggests that as Myrtle watches, different emotions are appearing on her face gradually, just like objects appearing in a picture that is taking shape slowly.
Therefore, the effect of the simile is to emphasize the slow and deliberate nature of the emotions that are appearing on Myrtle's face. It also creates a visual image in the reader's mind of the progression of emotions, making the scene more vivid and descriptive.
Based on this analysis, the correct answer is: The simile compares the curtains moving to a picture developing.