Read the excerpt from chapter 17 of The Awakening. She turned back into the room and began to walk to and fro down its whole length, without stopping, without resting. She carried in her hands a thin handkerchief which she tore into ribbons, rolled into a ball, and flung from her.

Which words and phrases best establish mood in the excerpt?
A “walk to and fro,” “without resting,” “tore,” and “flung”
B “a thin handkerchief,” “hands,” “ribbons,” and “ball”
C “into the room,” “without stopping,” “whole,” and “her”
D “turned back,” “down,” “carried,” and “rolled into”

My best guess would be A

Explanation:

the tone of the passage is sympathetic to the forbidden love of romeo and juliet. the nurse plays a significant role in the play. she is responsible for making their meeting again possible. additionally, there is a sense of warning in the choice of words of the nurse. she seems to be authoritative when she calls romeo "scurvy knave", and at the same time the fact that she addresses to him as "sir" reflects respect. the nurse is "vexed", this word describes her confused state of mind. on the one hand, she finds romeo a fine and eloquent man, but on the other, it is thought that man's nature forces men to try to trick women.  

the answer is culture