One is always in the position of having to decide between amputation and gangrene. amputation is swift but time may prove that the amputation was not necessary — or one may delay the amputation too long. gangrene is slow, but it is impossible to be sure that one is reading one's symptoms right. the idea of going through life as a cripple is more than one can bear, and equally unbearable is the risk of swelling up slowly, in agony, with poison. which sentence best explains how the use of metaphor in the excerpt supports baldwin's purpose? a. it uses a description of hatred that appeals to the senses and readers better understand its usefulness. b. it shows the evil of hatred by comparing its elimination to a choice between two equally dangerous choices. c. it reveals the best method for eradicating hatred by comparing the results of two types of medical procedures. d. it links hatred and a medical procedure to show that hatred should be surgically removed from society.

Answer :

The sentence that best explains how the use of metaphor in the given excerpt supports Baldwin's purpose is :

B. It shows the evil of hatred by comparing its elimination to a choice between two equally dangerous choices.

Both amputation and gangrene are equally dangerous for the body. Amputation is swift and limited to one or two limbs while gangrene has a very slow development and it can take a long time before it is diagnosed.

.By suggesting that hatred is a disease that can manifest itself at any time, it shows how pervasive hatred can be.

C. By suggesting that hatred is a disease that can manifest itself at any time, it shows how persuasive hatred can be.

Explanation: A metaphor is an indirect comparison between elements that aren't obviously related, it is used to create an image that helps the audience to understand a point. In the given excerpt from "Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin, the speaker uses a metaphor to compare racial hatred with a disease, he emphasizes in the fact that it can manifestate at any time without warning, so that shows how persuasive hatred can be.

B. It shows the evil of hatred by comparing its elimination to a choice between two equally dangerous choices. hope this helps :)

B.It shows the evil of hatred by comparing its elimination to a choice between two equally dangerous choices.

I would say the answer is C.
Hope this helps!

If this is the missing excerpt:
That year in New Jersey lives in my mind as though it were the year during which, having an unsuspected predilection for it, I first contracted some dread, chronic disease, the unfailing symptom of which is a kind of blind fever, a pounding in the skull and fire in the bowels. Once this disease is contracted, one can never be really carefree again, for the fever, without an instant's warning, can recur at any moment.

If these are the missing choices:
A.By using a description of hatred that appeals to the senses, it helps readers better imagine the effects of hatred.
B.By describing the author's experience with a similar disease, it implies that hatred is contagious.
C.By suggesting that hatred is a disease that can manifest itself at any time, it shows how pervasive hatred can be.
D.By implying that no one is immune to the symptoms of racial hatred, it shows that everyone has the capacity to hate.

My answer is: 
C.By suggesting that hatred is a disease that can manifest itself at any time, it shows how pervasive hatred can be.

This line clinched my  
Once this disease is contracted, one can never be really carefree again, for the fever, without an instant's warning, can recur at any moment.

Once you experience hate, there is always a time that said hatred will resurface. One can't control when it will appear because it always takes one by surprise.