Empathy is important when giving humor because you have to also feel what that other person is feeling and how they’re going to take your joke. If you were upset and you started joking on someone that might tear them down even more. You have to know when it’s time to be serious and not to be.
I’m not sure if that’s the answer, I just wanted to try and help.
I would have to say black, because it just fits with most creepy books. Sorry if you can't figure out an explanation.
The personification in this is “But here and there a few cars groaning creep...” the idea this personification gives about New York is probably that New York is [obviously] just waking up and people are starting to drive their cars around the city.
