Question

Which of these sentences from Herman Melville's short story "The Lightning-Rod Man" is an example of allusion?

It is the safest thing you can do—Hark, again!—to get yourself thoroughly drenched in a thunder-storm.
Who has empowered you, you Tetzel, to peddle round your indulgences from divine ordinations?
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.
Briefly, then. I avoid pine-trees, high houses, lonely barns, upland pastures, running water, flocks of cattle and sheep, a crowd of men.

Answer 1

The sentence from Herman Melville's short story "The Lightning-Rod Man" that is an example of allusion is Who has empowered you, you Tetzel, to peddle round your indulgences from divine ordinations?

Step-by-step explanation:

An allusion is a device that writer use to make reference to something without being this present in the scene, this normally gives extra context to help the understanding either of a situation or a character, here the sentence is making reference to reason behind what the reader can see now, it is calling for the background.

Answer 2

The sentence from Herman Melville's short story "The Lightning-Rod Man" is an example of allusion is Who has empowered you, you Tetzel, to peddle round your indulgences from divine ordinations?