The correct answer is C. Mark Twain
Step-by-step explanation:
In history, the Gilded Age was a period between 1870 and 1890 in which the U.S. went through multiple changes this include the expansion of industry as well as an improvement in the economic conditions of many people which led to certain social excesses. The name of this era derives from "The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today" which was a novel written by Mark Twain during this period, in this Twain showed the negative aspects of this period as society had serious issues but only the excess and "gold" of the era was shown, this made Twain describe this era as "ridiculous excess".