Question

What effect does Woolf’s connotative word choice have on the tone of the passage?

Woolf’s use of negative connotative language creates a morose, melancholic tone that mirrors the horrific setting.

Woolf’s use of negative connotative language creates a bleak, sleepy tone reflective of the oceanic setting before dawn.

Woolf’s use of neutral connotative language creates an apathetic, stoic tone that reflects the boring setting of the ocean.

Woolf’s use of positive connotative language creates an animated, energetic tone that creates a dream-like setting.

Answer 1

Woolf’s use of negative connotative language creates a bleak, sleepy tone reflective of the oceanic setting before dawn.

Explanation: the negative-leaning words and images (e.g., dull, grey, heavy, dragging, moaning) slow the rhythm and evoke chill, emptiness, and drowsiness, matching a pre-dawn, oceanic atmosphere rather than horror, apathy, or energetic dreaminess.