Read this sentence from Abraham Lincoln’s letter to a citizen of Kentucky:

...yet often a limb must be amputated to save a life, but a life is never wisely given to save a limb

Which of the following best describes the effect of this metaphor?

It suggests a difficult decision with a painful outcome.

It suggests a life-saving treatment that comes too late.

It suggests a loss of functioning parts of a whole.

It suggests a process of curing that ultimately fails.