Question

Read this excerpt from "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry.

There was now a fine, cold drizzle falling, and the wind had risen from its uncertain puffs into a steady blow. The few foot passengers astir in that quarter hurried dismally and silently along with coat collars turned high and pocketed hands. And in the door of the hardware store the man who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment, uncertain almost to absurdity, with the friend of his youth, smoked his cigar and waited.

Which statement best describes how the pacing of this passage affects the story?


The pacing makes the setting come alive with vivid imagery and descriptive language, which makes the story surprising.

The pacing slows down the text with deliberate and descriptive language, which gives the story a mysterious atmosphere.

The pacing allows for a lengthy description of the man and clear description of the setting, which creates an alarming tone in the story.

The pacing moves the story along quickly with descriptive language, which adds humor to the story.

Answer 1

The pacing slows down the text with deliberate and descriptive language, which gives the story a mysterious atmosphere.

I like to answer my questions with proof, so here you go.

Step-by-step explanation:

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Answer 2

The answer is: The pacing slows down the text with deliberate and descriptive language, which gives the story a mysterious atmosphere.

In the excerpt from "After Twenty Years," the author O. Henry describes the winter scene with details about the weather and the how the people in the street are behaving, which gives a sense of mystery to the story.

The rest of the options are incorrect because the events in the passage do not depict surprise, humor or alarm. Besides, there is no further description of the man, and the pacing is not fast.