Which figure of speech is demonstrated by the line 'He carried a strobe light and the responsibility for the lives of his men'?

• A. Metaphor
• B. Zeugma
• C. Irony
• D. Hyperbole

Answer: (B)

This line uses a device where a single verb links two different ideas, one physical and one conceptual, creating a single, punchy image. The verb carry is used literally with the strobe light and metaphorically with the burden of responsibility for his men. That combination is a classic example of zeugma (syllepsis): one action applied to two different kinds of objects.

This works well here because it tightens the sentence and emphasizes how much is on his shoulders, not just the equipment he has. It isn’t a metaphor that compares two things directly, nor is it presenting an obvious irony or an exaggerated claim. The effect comes from the syntactic pairing of two complements under one verb, producing a concise, impactful moment.