Gloria murray effectively uses figures of speech, imagery, and symbolism to convey the sterile, restricted quality of her mother's house and the tenseness she feels when she is there. the mood is tense and constricted. she points out that "even the air knew/when to hold its breath," and the walls "[stand] at attention." these details also work symbolically, representing how the inhabitants are expected to behave and how they must keep their silence about any human feelings they might have.