River of Angels

by Alejandro Morales

It is unclear why at around the age of fourteen he came to America. From Campagna he had walked and rode on public carts to Naples, where he joined a group of twelve children escorted by Benedictine nuns destined for New York. While in Naples he often snuck away from the Benedictine eye to explore the great historical layers of the city: on the surface lay a modern city, and underground the Roman and Greek cities. Young Rodia was astonished at the magnificent buildings, plazas, gardens, palaces and churches in Naples.

Excerpt from "River of Angels" by Alejandro Morales is being reprinted with permission from the publisher (©Arte Público Press - University of Houston)

Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

In which phrase from the passage does the author use synecdoche?

(1 point)
Responses

“was astonished at the magnificent buildings”
“was astonished at the magnificent buildings”

“From Campagna he had walked and rode on public carts”
“From Campagna he had walked and rode on public carts”

“It is unclear why”
“It is unclear why”

“he often snuck away from the Benedictine eye to explore”

1 answer

The phrase from the passage that uses synecdoche is:

“he often snuck away from the Benedictine eye to explore”

In this phrase, "the Benedictine eye" represents the watchful oversight or authority of the Benedictine nuns, using a part (the eye) to refer to the whole (the nuns and their vigilance).