In this excerpt from the life of charlotte brontë by elizabeth gaskell, what does the author mean by the sentence “the west riding men are sleuth-hounds in pursuit of money”?

the west riding men are sleuth-hounds in pursuit of money. miss brontë related to my husband a curious instance illustrative of this eager desire for riches. a man that she knew, who was a small manufacturer, had engaged in many local speculations, which had always turned out well, and thereby rendered him a person of some wealth.

a.
the author personifies sleuth-hounds by comparing them to men of the west riding area.
b.
the author compares the men from west riding with animals, specifically hounds, by using hyperbole for comic effect.
c.
the author uses sarcasm to criticize the inability of men from west riding to find anything.
d.
the author uses a metaphor to compare the west riding men in their quest for money with hounds that pursue prey.

throughout the ancient epic of gilgamesh, the protagonist, gilgamesh of course, exhibited many character traits that made him a true epic hero. one great trait that gilgamesh acquires of an epic hero is that he's a courageous and confident leader. in the text enkidu is too afraid to fight, but he's positive that gilgamesh has the ability to triumph against humbaba. gilgamesh tells enkidu to not be afraid and then continues on to remind him of all the victories he's had against similar foe. gilgamesh proves that he's confident by encouraging enkidu and shows he's courageous when enkidu ask gilgamesh to battle humbaba alone because he knows that gilgamesh will reign victorious.

another characteristic that makes gilgamesh an epic hero is that he's brave and takes risks. "dread surged through gilgamesh, terror flooded his muscles, his heart froze, his mouth went dry, his legs shook, his feet were rooted to the ground. / gilgamesh felt his courage return. they charged at humbaba like two wild bulls." when reading the first part of the quote you see that gilgamesh is terrified of humbaba, and realizing that humbaba is the antagonist he's about to battle is taking a big risk. gilgamesh soon shows how brave he is by not letting his fear of humbaba overtake him, instead he went charging into the face of fear and triumphs.

the definition of thane is   a man who held land granted by the king or by a military nobleman, ranking between an ordinary freeman and a hereditary noble.