Read this sentence from abraham lincoln’s letter to a citizen of kentucky:

often a limb must be amputated to save a life, but a life is never wisely given to save a limb

which of the following best describes the effect of this metaphor?

it suggests a difficult decision with a painful outcome.

it suggests a life-saving treatment that comes too late.

it suggests a loss of functioning parts of a whole.

it suggests a process of curing that ultimately fails.