Tye answer is 1 10/9 because I added and I'm smart jk I'm Dao dumb
In her "Twenty Years ar Hull-House", Jane Addams describes her work with Ellen Starr, after she returned from the United States, after traveling several years; during that period she lived the poverty and suffering of needy people. During that period she also spent two years in London.
As we said at the beginning of the first paragraph, she and Ellen Starr founded Hull-House in the slums of Chicago, in January, 1889. The search for the ideal location was time consuming, and Hull-House was named after the home owner.
The rest of the book describes the activities of Addams and the people who lived at Hull-House and depended on it.
I believe that gossip can be quite powerful if people are stupid enough to believe in them. Gossip can ruin somebody's reputation, regardless of the fact whether they are true or not - once people hear something bad or juicy about someone, they won't care much whether it really happened or not, but will rather judge that person based on that particular rumor. Sometimes rumors are based on true events, but most of the times they are not - mostly they are just sparked by someone who is jealous of that particular person and wants them to suffer.
It means the way the writer uses the language to convey meanings, feelings e.t.c. In another context it may mean the way the writer uses language in order to manipulate the reader and lead him where he/she desires e.g. to feel in a certain way about a character, to have certain expectations e.t.c.
Assuming that you're referring to Mallam Sile,
well, during that time Mallam had just recently moved to town and He's not respected by the people of the town .(he was only a tea seller, and his wife is some sort of a debt collector)
hope this helps