Read the excerpt from “the pit and the pendulum,” a short story by edgar allan poe and answer the question that follows. in it, a prisoner condemned to death has been trapped in a lightless dungeon. when an eerie glow from an unknown source enables him to see his surroundings, he compares the impressions he gained in the dark with what he observes when the dungeon is lit.

in its size i had been greatly mistaken. the whole circuit of its walls did not exceed twenty-five yards. for some minutes this fact occasioned me a world of vain trouble; vain indeed! for what could be of less importance, under the terrible circumstances which environed me, than the mere dimensions of my dungeon? but my soul took a wild interest in trifles, and i busied myself in endeavors to account for the error i had committed in my measurement. the truth at length flashed upon me. in my first attempt at exploration i had counted fifty-two paces, up to the period when i fell; . . upon awaking, i must have returned upon my steps—thus supposing the circuit nearly double what it actually was. .

i had been deceived, too, in respect to the shape of the enclosure. in feeling my way i had found many angles, and thus deduced an idea of great irregularity; so potent is the effect of total darkness . . the angles were simply those of a few slight depressions, or niches, at odd intervals. the general shape of the prison was square. what i had taken for masonry seemed now to be iron, or some other metal, in huge plates . . the entire surface of this metallic enclosure was [covered] in . . hideous and repulsive devices . .

which of the following words best describes the mood of the excerpt?

a.
humorous
b.
righteous
c.
sinister
d.
prosperous