What device is twain using when he says his father, as a justice of the peace "possessed the power of life and death over all men"?
a. dialect
b. irony
c. understatement
d. hyperbole

The answer is letter D. Hyperbole.

Explanation:

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express an idea, a feeling, an action etc. to inspire strong impressions or emotions in the audience.

A justice of the peace was a lower rank judicial officer. He was elected among the members of a community and did not need to have formal legal education. His job was to keep the peace by dealing with some issues, but only minor cases. Thus, it is an exaggeration to say a justice of the peace "possessed the power of life and death over all men." This is clearly a biased description, since Twain is talking of his own father. Maybe that was the author's interpretation when he was younger - that his father was a powerful man, since he could decide on other people's issues. Anyhow, the statement is a clear hyperbole.

answer: there description

explanation: the description of a character