"Obama's Speech at Selma, 2015" by Barack Obama It’s the idea held by generations of citizens who believed that America is a constant work in progress; who believed that loving this country requires more than singing its praises or avoiding uncomfortable truths. It requires the occasional disruption, the willingness to speak out for what is right, to shake up the status quo. That’s America. That’s what makes us unique. That’s what cements our reputation as a beacon of opportunity. Young people behind the Iron Curtain would see Selma and eventually tear down that wall.

Question

Which of the following sentences features an allusion?

A. “It requires the occasional disruption, the willingness to speak out for what is right, to shake up the status quo.”
B. “That’s what makes us unique.”
C. “Young people behind the Iron Curtain would see Selma and eventually tear down that wall.”
D. “That’s what cements our reputation as a beacon of opportunity.”

Answer 1

C. “Young people behind the Iron Curtain would see Selma and eventually tear down that wall.”

This sentence contains an allusion to the Iron Curtain, which refers to the division between Western Europe and the Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe during the Cold War, and the phrase "tear down that wall," which alludes to the Berlin Wall, symbolizing the desire for freedom and the breaking down of oppressive barriers.