Final answer:
The tone conveyed in the selection is characterized by feelings of desperation, anguish, and resignation, highlighting the characters' dire circumstances and emotional turmoil.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tone of the selection is one of desperation, anguish, and resignation. The characters are coping with their harsh realities and seemingly insurmountable challenges, feeling trapped, helpless, and facing a grim future. The imagery used in the passage, such as feeling 'weighed down by the uneasy sense that some disaster was about to happen', suggests a heavy, oppressive mood that looms over the characters. The events suggest a climax of fraught emotions and pivotal moments in the protagonist's life. Key phrases like 'nursing his anger and wounded pride,' along with internal conflicts, signify a deep-seated turmoil and a sense of despair and forlornness that permeates the text.