Read the short passage below, and use the example method to analyze the tone of the piece.

A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments, and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods and others bareheaded, was assemble in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes. (The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne)

Example Method:

Content ("what" clues):

What is the content of this piece?
Style ("how" clues):

Diction:
Syntax:
Tone is: