How did Cogburn's appearance relate to his age?

• A. He was about forty but looked old
• B. He was about twenty but looked forty
• C. He looked young for his age
• D. He appeared elderly but was actually sixty

Answer: (A)

Cogburn’s appearance is used to show how age and look can clash with reality to convey a character’s experience. He’s described as about forty, but his face and bearing are weathered from hard frontier life, giving him an older, worn-in look. That contrast—being in his forties while appearing older—creates a sense of toughness and lived-in experience that fits his rough, no-nonsense persona.

The other options don’t fit because the text doesn’t present him as youthful or twenty who looks forty, nor as someone who looks young for his age, nor as someone who is actually sixty. The emphasis is on a forty-year-old who looks aged from years of hard living.