What is the function of a claim in an argument

Which line in this excerpt from the great gatsby by f. scott fitzgerald contains a simile? about half way between west egg and new york the motor-road hastily joins the railroad and runs beside it for a quarter of a mile, so as to shrink away from a certain desolate area of land. this is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. occasionally a line of grey cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-grey men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud which screens their obscure operations from your sight.

Comparison/ contrast literary analysis outline for great gatsby thesis statment: main idea for 1st body paragraph (choose a literary element used in both texts.) literary element use and effect in novel specific example specific example literary element use and effect in 2nd piece of literature specific example specific example relation of this literary element to the theme details from primary/ secondary source details from primary/ secondary source main idea for 2nd body paragraph (choose a literary element used in both texts.) literary element use and effect in novel specific example specific example literary element use and effect in 2nd piece of literature specific example specific example relation of this literary element to the theme details from primary/ secondary source details from primary/ secondary source main idea for 3rd body paragraph (choose a literary element used in both texts.) literary element use and effect in novel specific example specific example literary element use and effect in 2nd piece of literature specific example specific example relation of this literary element to the theme details from primary/ secondary source details from primary/ secondary source

1. what is your initial,twenty word definition for college-level writing? 2. what do you think is the goal of this assignment? what are your initial thoughts based on what you read in the prompt? 3.what do you think is the cliche,overused answer to this question? in other words, how do you think every other person is answering this question, and how you intend to avoid that answer?