Which statement best compares a literary technique used in both "Gumption" and "To Build a Fire"?

C). Both use flashback to provide crucial background to the characters' situation.

Explanation:

Literary techniques play a vital role in creating the desired impact and elicit an intended response from the audience.

As per the question, both the stories 'Gumption' by Langston Hughes and 'To Build a Fire' authored by Jack London's employ 'flashback technique to indicate the background and context of the story in association to the characters' situation' that assists the readers to have a background or context of how the events are associated which serves them to provide a comprehensive understanding of the story.

The former ('Gumption') provides the context of the consequences (in the form of fallback) of the Depression Era while the latter ('To Build a Fire') details of the background events ('old man's advice) that were disregarded by man led him to 'freeze to death'. Therefore, option C is the correct answer.

Both use flashback to provide crucial background to the characters' situation