Select the correct answer.
Which of these sentences from Herman Melville's short story "The Lightning-Rod Man" is an example of allusion?
A.
It is the safest thing you can do—Hark, again!—to get yourself thoroughly drenched in a thunder-storm.
B.
Who has empowered you, you Tetzel, to peddle round your indulgences from divine ordinations?
C.
Will you order one of my rods? Look at this specimen one? See: it is of the best of copper. Copper's the best conductor.
D.
Briefly, then. I avoid pine-trees, high houses, lonely barns, upland pastures, running water, flocks of cattle and sheep, a crowd of men.
B.
Who has empowered you, you Tetzel, to peddle round your indulgences from divine ordinations?
B. "Who has empowered you, you Tetzel, to peddle round your indulgences from divine ordinations?" is an example of allusion.
The correct answer is option B. "Who has empowered you, you Tetzel, to peddle round your indulgences from divine ordinations?"
To determine the correct answer, we need to understand what an allusion is. An allusion is a figure of speech that refers to a person, place, event, or literary work outside of the current context. In this case, it refers to Martin Luther and Johann Tetzel during the Protestant Reformation.
To identify the allusion, we should recognize that the name "Tetzel" refers to Johann Tetzel, a German friar who was known for selling indulgences, or forgiveness of sins, to raise money for the Catholic Church. Martin Luther, a key figure in the Protestant Reformation, strongly criticized this practice.
Therefore, in option B, the allusion is made by mentioning the name "Tetzel" and the act of "peddling round your indulgences from divine ordinations."