Reflecting the guilty thoughts streaming through Pip's head, Charles Dickens creates a dreary mood through gloomy diction and figurative language.
Dickens" use of gloomy diction emphasizes the dreariness of the atmosphere. "Rimy", for example, conveys the presence of a cold, wet, dreary atmosphere as Pip is making his way toward the marshes, where he shall rendezvous with the convict. The use of this and other dreary words contributes to the use of imagery to establish the mood of the piece. These words are accompanied by other descriptive details, such as "heavy mist", to add emphasis to the mood established. Other examples, such as "phantom", add a dark and mysterious effect to the mood of this piece. The use of this word causes the reader to wonder how Pip sees the sign. It also shows Pip's fear of the Hulks.
The author uses figurative language to strengthen the emphasis on the established mood. Dickens" use of figurative language, such as the simile, " the damp lying on the outside of my little window, as if some goblin had been crying there all night- reinforces the dreary mood that has been established. The incorporation of sadness and lament with a goblin reinforces the dreary mood due to the fact that goblins are mischievous monsters that enjoy the misfortunes of others. The author's use of such a contradictory comparison shows that the mood is of a potent existence. Another example of figurative language that helps establish the dreary mood is the simile " damp lying like a coarser sort of spiders" webs, hanging itself from twig to twig and blade to blade." The use of this simile, comparing the dampness on the hedges to coarse spider webs, adds emphasis to the mood by adding the association of spiders, usually associated with dreariness and gloom, to the atmosphere. This association adds, along with the previous contradictory comparison, to the dreariness of the atmosphere established by the mood.
