Question

What rhetorical device is used in this excerpt from Mark Twain's "The Danger of Lying in Bed"?

The man in the ticket-office said:

"Have an accident insurance ticket, also?"

"No," I said, after studying the matter over a little. "No, I believe not; I am going to be traveling by rail all day today. However, tomorrow I don't travel. Give me one for tomorrow."

The man looked puzzled. He said:

"But it is for accident insurance, and if you are going to travel by rail—"

"If I am going to travel by rail I sha'n't need it. Lying at home in bed is the thing I am afraid of."

Answer 1

I had been looking into this matter. Last year I traveled twenty thousand miles, almost entirely by rail; the year before, I traveled over twenty-five thousand miles, half by sea and half by rail; and the year before that I traveled in the neighborhood of ten thousand miles, exclusively by rail. I suppose if I put in all the little odd journeys here and there, I may say I have traveled sixty thousand miles during the three years I have mentioned. AND NEVER AN ACCIDENT. @ geekfromthefutur

allusion
rhetorical question
anecdote
logic

Answer 2

@geekfromthefutur ^

Answer 3

@sammixboo @pooja195 @KyanTheDoodle

Answer 4

well first off you read the book right

Answer 5

What do you think it is

Answer 6

theres no book and idk

Answer 7

The reason why the narrator persuades the ticket-office man is because he uses reasoning. He says that he's traveled many miles on rail with no accidents, so the chances of an accident happening now is very slim.

Answer 8

allusion is a reference to another work. a rhetorical question is a question that requires and does not want and answer. an anecdote is a brief story designed to illustrate something. logic is how some one using reason to come to a sound/valid conclusion.

Answer 9

its anecdote guys thnx:)

Answer 10

Really? Your school said that was the answer?

Answer 11

It is more like a anecdote for logic.

Answer 12

Yeah. Why wasn't logic the answer? O_O

Answer 13

Well, an anecdote is not so strict on content. The content of the anecdote is logic reasoning. It could just as easily have been an anecdote for something like irony.

Answer 14

@geekfromthefutur

Answer 15

forgot what you told me

Answer 16

its logic

Answer 17

sure?

Answer 18

yup

Answer 19

ok :)

Answer 20

I think logic would be the best as well, but it does contain an anecdote as well.