Question

Read the paragraphs from "Lather and Nothing Else."

He came in without a word. I was stropping my best razor. And when I recognized him, I started to shake. But he did not notice. To cover my nervousness, I went on honing the razor. I tried the edge with the tip of my thumb and took another look at it against the light.

Meanwhile he was taking off his cartridge-studded belt with the pistol holster suspended from it. He put it on a hook in the wardrobe and hung his cap above it. Then he turned full around toward me and, loosening his tie, remarked, "It’s hot as the devil, I want a shave.” With that he took his seat.

Which words contribute to the tense mood of this passage?

shake; nervousness
recognized; razor

Answer 1

"shake; nervousness."

Those words directly show the narrator's fear and physical anxiety, which create a tense atmosphere. "Recognized" and "razor" are descriptive but don't by themselves convey that emotional tension.