Read the excerpt from the great gatsby. then answer the question that follows. the younger of the two was a stranger to me. she was extended full length at her end of the divan, completely motionless, and with her chin raised a little, as if she were balancing something on it which was quite likely to fall. what is the effect of the bolded figurative language on the passage? the alliteration speeds up the action of the scene and creates a mood of nervousness. the metaphor compares the woman to a balancing act that is going to end in disaster. the personification emphasizes the ability of the couch to rest carefully on the floor. the simile illustrates the graceful stillness of the woman as she was posing on the couch.