Question

EMIL: Guess you don't know much about the Espionage Act or you'd go and make a little friendly call on your uncle. When your case comes to trial—and Judge Lenon may be on the bench—(whistles) He's one fiend for Americanism.

What best describes the effect of the word fiend in this excerpt?
It establishes the time period in which the story occurred by using language that is not typically used in today’s society.
It develops the conflict by establishing the fact that Judge Lenon is unforgiving when he feels that someone has been unpatriotic.
It enhances the theme of the story by suggesting that it is nearly impossible to receive a fair trial during this time period.
It characterizes Judge Lenon as a corrupt judge who cares more about patriotism than he cares about justice.

Answer 1

Fiend means an evil, wicked or a cruel person. This word characterizes the judge in this excerpt. Indeed, this word is addressed to this character in the excerpt. Therefore, the correct answer is the last option - It characterizes Judge Lenon as a corrupt judge who cares more about patriotism than he cares about justice.

Answer 2

The correct answer among all the other choices is "It enhances the theme of the story by suggesting that it is nearly impossible to receive a fair trial during this time period." Thank you for posting your question. I hope that this answer helped you. Let me know if you need more help.