Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this narrative. Read these sentences from Ten Days in a Mad-House.
How we shivered as we stood there! The windows were open and the draught went whizzing through the hall. The patients looked blue with cold, and the minutes stretched into a quarter of an hour. How does the author's use of language in these sentences affect the passage? A. The formal language in "as we stood there" and "a quarter of an hour" gives an expectant tone, making the passage sound suspenseful.
B. The formal language in the words "stretched" and "draught" portrays an ominous tone, making the passage sound threatening.
C .The informal language in "blue with cold" and "whizzing through" creates a miserable tone, making the passage sound depressing.
D. The informal language in "How we shivered" and "The windows were open" portrays a helpless tone, making the passage sound anxious.
C .The informal language in "blue with cold" and "whizzing through" creates a miserable tone, making the passage sound depressing.
Throughout the passage the speaker describes the misery the people are enduring. He says, "how we shivered", "blue with cold", and "the minutes stretched" all add to this miserable tone. We don't know what is happening, but we are not left in suspense nor do things feel threatening or anxious. The simple informal statements with vivid descriptions of the elements add to the depressing feel of the passage.
