Analysis of the fragments from ‘The Passionate Year’ by James Hilton

This story is about a young teacher Kenneth Speed (who is the central character) who came to work in Millstead Boarding school for boys. The author tells us about his first work day. In this school students had a custom to rag at a new teacher during the prep. Speed was very nervous when he came to class. The author expressed his nervous condition by the epithets: «nervous», «an atmosphere of subdued expectancy», «keenly conscious» and simile: «as if he were sitting on a powder-magazine» to express the emotional state of the main character.