The author uses various literary devices in the passage to create a sense of the speaker's isolation and alienation. One of these devices is the use of imagery, such as the description of the “dark, empty halls” and the “silent, empty rooms.” The author also uses figurative language, such as the metaphor of the “shadow” that “followed” the speaker, which suggests that the speaker’s isolation is pervasive and inescapable. What is the purpose of the author’s description of the “dark, empty halls” and the “silent, empty rooms?”

SAT · English · previous-year question