Read the following sentences from "in the shadow of war"

He followed her till they came to a muddied river. She moved as if an invisible force were trying to blow her away. Omovo saw capsized canoes and trailing, waterlogged clothes on the dark water. He saw floating items of sacrifice: loaves of bread in polythene wrappings, gourds of food, coca-cola cans. When he looked at the canoes again they had changed into the shapes of swollen dead animals. He saw outdated currencies on the riverbank. He noticed the terrible smell in the air.

Which of the following best describes the mood created by the speaker and the setting?

1. Gloomy and oppressive

2. Shocking and surprising

3. Mysterious and threatening

4. Frightening and overwhelmed

Mood created by speaker in this passage and in fact throughout the story is Mysterious and threatening

Explanation:

"In the Shadow of War" (1983) is short story by Ben Okri. The speaker develop a mysterious and frightening mood by use of many words and phrases. Mention of invisible force is mysterious, capsized canoes means overturned boats create both mystery and threat. The reader thinks why and how have they been capsized, and feels threatened by such sight. Waterlogged clothes on the dark water, items of sacrifice, loaves of bread are all making the mood of the passage mysterious and threatening. Coca-cola cans and outdated currencies are also very mysterious. And in the last part when the canoes have changed into the shapes of swollen dead animals, and a terrible smell in the air make the mood mysterious and threatening.