What does the birch symbolize in this excerpt?
Your mere puny stripling, that winced at the least flourish of the rod, was passed by with indulgence; but the claims of justice were satisfied by inflicting a double portion on some little tough wrong-headed, broad-skirted Dutch urchin, who sulked and swelled and grew dogged and sullen beneath the birch.
(from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving)
a.injustice

b.justice

c.hardship

d.punishment

Question

What does the birch symbolize in this excerpt? 
Your mere puny stripling, that winced at the least flourish of the rod, was passed by with indulgence; but the claims of justice were satisfied by inflicting a double portion on some little tough wrong-headed, broad-skirted Dutch urchin, who sulked and swelled and grew dogged and sullen beneath the birch.
(from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving)
a.injustice

b.justice

c.hardship

d.punishment

anonymous · Answer

to me it sounds like D punishment because of the first sentence.

anonymous · Answer

thats what i was thinking it was. thanks.

anonymous · Answer

welcome