Read the excerpt from "Object Lesson 1".In his nose was the pungent smell of ink, glue, paper, chalk, musty wardrobe closets; surrounding him were discolored walls, peeling paint, tarnished fixtures, warped window poles, and mutilated desks.

The details create a dreary, neglected atmosphere: the walls are discolored, the paint is peeling, the fixtures are tarnished, and the desks are mutilated. These unpleasant images suggest a gloomy mood, not anger, rebellion, or pride.

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