What is the connotative meaning of fault lines in this excerpt? something powerful and threatening something familiar and interesting something harmless and pleasant something amusing and impressive

This question is incomplete. Here is the complete question:

What is the connotative meaning of fault lines in this excerpt?

"Once these disparate parts were held together by a common enemy, by the fault lines of world wars and the electrified fence of communism. With the end of the cold war there was the creeping concern that without a focus for hatred and distrust, a sense of national identity would evaporate, that the left side of the hyphen—African-American, Mexican-American, Irish-American—would overwhelm the right."

something powerful and threatening

something familiar and interesting

something harmless and pleasant

something amusing and impressive

The correct answer is something powerful and threatening.

Explanation:

 Let's start by defining what a fault line is. In this matter it means a division between cultures or religions that result in a violent confrontation.

What these lines describe is something powerful and threatening. You can read the power of this confrontation, as well as its threat.

"there was the creeping concern that without a focus for hatred and distrust".

his face was as red as an

i believe the correct answer is a