Answer: D) figurative language.
Explanation: figurative language is the use of words or expressions to convey a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. It can be expressed through metaphors, similes, personifications, allusions, etc. In the given passage, James Baldwin is most clearly using figurative language as a rhetorical device, because the way he describes the consequences of slapping a child in anger, is not meant to be taken literally.
