The underlined words and phrases affect the tone of the excerpt in the following ways:
1. **They demonstrate the despair of the situation.** - The imagery of living on snow, being frozen bodies, and the dark feelings left in their souls highlights the hopelessness and bleakness experienced by the individuals.
2. **They reflect an attitude of being resigned to one’s fate.** - Phrases such as "never uttering a word" and "we merely waited for the next stop" suggest a sense of passivity and acceptance of their grim reality, indicating a resignation to their fate.