Write a critical appreciation of the passage paying particular appreciation to the ways in which the writer created mood and atmosphere - Susan Hill's "A London Particular".

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Write a critical appreciation of the passage paying particular appreciation to the ways in which the writer created mood and atmosphere.

In the extract from Susan Hill’s “A London Particular” the mood is set by the use of language and structure in the first paragraph. “It was a Monday afternoon” are the first few words of the extract and suggests that the setting is quite normal yet as we read on to “growing dark” it creates a sense of apprehension. Susan Hill also structures her first paragraph by using hyphens and this shows the abnormality of the situation. With the felling of abnormality in the passage the reader starts to feel apprehensive and scared at what is to come.

“The fog” is introduced in the first paragraph and is suggested to be controlling by not “allowing” daylight to penetrate it. The daylight represents purity and goodness and the fact that the fog is stopping this conveys the idea that it is threatening to the citizens of London. As we read on “the fog” is now just referred to as “fog” which suggests that it has been given a name and therefore personified. The theme of personification runs throughout the passage but more so in paragraph two as the fog is said to be “creeping in and out of alleyways and passages”. As the fog is “creeping” it is quite sinister as it is normally a movement usually associated with dubious characters. The fact that the fog is down “alleyways and passages” is to quite ominous as these places are typically seen as unfriendly and dangerous places. All of these characteristics of the fog imply that it is boding evil or in fact evil itself.

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When the fog is said to be “gaining a sly entrance at every opening” it likens the fog to a thief, this likening is negative and thus creates an uneasy mood in the passage. Another method that Susan Hill uses to create mood and atmosphere in this extract is by making the fog harm the innocent people of London. When the fog is described as one that “choked and blinded” it makes the reader feel sorry towards anyone caught in this situation. When the whole circumstances are described as “a game of Blind Man’s Buff” it creates the idea ...

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