Answer: B
Diction refers to the careful choice of words that an author makes when writing a text. This is usually done in a way in which the words highlight the theme, or increase the persuasiveness of the text. In this case, the author uses words such as "died on" and "dying on" in order to increase the dramatic effect of the speech. In turn, this causes the reader to be more sympathetic to the sufferings of the tenants.