Final answer:
The atmosphere of Victorian London is effectively presented through vivid descriptions, sensory details, and a style reminiscent of Charles Dickens. The extract portrays a bleak and polluted environment, reflecting the negative effects of industrialization and the decay of the city.
Step-by-step explanation:
The atmosphere of Victorian London is effectively presented in the extract through the use of vivid descriptions and sensory details. The author creates a bleak and polluted environment by describing the thick air and the presence of smoke from chimneys and factories. The atmosphere reflects the negative effects of industrialization and the decay of the city. This can be seen in the following quote: 'The idiosyncrasy of this town is smoke. It rolls sullenly in slow folds from the great chimneys of the iron-foundries, and settles down in black, slimy pools on the muddy streets.'
Furthermore, the author's style, similar to that of Charles Dickens, contributes to the atmospheric portrayal of Victorian London. The detailed descriptions and fragmented sentences evoke a sense of realism and enable the reader to imagine the sights, sounds, and smells of the city. This can be observed in the following quote: 'The first thing that struck her eye was the furnace, that hot and feverish worker, with the intense glow of its fire, which by the quantities of soot clustered above it seemed to have been burning for ages.'
Overall, Stephenson effectively presents the atmosphere of Victorian London in the extract by employing descriptive language, sensory details, and a style reminiscent of Dickens. The reader is transported to a polluted and decaying city, imagining the sights, smells, and sounds that characterized the era.