What is a literal statement

What do the excerpts have in common? both point out the tragic nature of situations in which children make journeys without their parents. both describe what immigrant children must do to survive when traveling to the united states. both explain why most children want to leave central america without their parents. both indicate the tragic problems and their consequences that children in central america must face.

If the author of the gift of the magi had made the reader aware of the gifts that jim had purchased in the beginning of the story this would be an example of

"first of all, how could they mistake a man for a sasquatch? " which best explains the purpose of this question (from review 2)? a) to illustrate how much the book uses humor b) to show how unbelievable parts of the story are c) to convince the reader that the novel is poorly written d) to highlight the differences between the characters in the novel