Question

Presently I saw a man leaning on a two-strand barbed-wire fence, the wires fixed not to posts but to crooked tree limbs stuck in the ground. The man wore a dark hat, and jeans and long jacket washed palest blue with lighter places at knees and elbows. His pale eyes were frosted with sun glare and his lips scaly as snakeskin.

What is the purpose of the description in this passage from Travels with Charley?

to explain how he develops friendships with people
to show his fear of the man
to show that people in the Bad Lands are dangerous
to show the similarity between the man and the place

Answer 1

The purpose of the description in this passage is **to show the similarity between the man and the place**. The imagery and details about the man's appearance, such as the worn clothing and scaly lips, evoke a sense of ruggedness and resilience that reflects the harshness and starkness of the Bad Lands setting. This connection highlights the man's character as being shaped by the environment in which he exists.