1) What makes the characters in Out of the Dust survivors? 2) How do figurative language and imagery reveal the character's state of mind?

1) The characters experiences a lot of tramam and bad experiences. They have loved ones that died. Billie Joe is a courageist main characther. The mother Billie Joe and the newborn baby died which gives Billie Joe pain.    

2) Authors often employ figurative language to make unfamiliar objects, settings and situations more relatable. Short stories, in particular, rely heavily on figurative language -- such as similes, metaphors, hyperbole, and personification -- to make the characters and storylines come alive in the reader’s mind.

haha i seen that before i is funny