The office aquarium

Source A: an original contemporary non-fiction-style account.

In the reception area stood an aquarium large enough to delay almost every visitor. Its blue light turned the nearby wall into a suggestion of underwater space. Inside, silver fish changed direction together, as if a thought had passed through the whole group. A larger orange fish moved alone near the bottom, inspecting the artificial stones with an expression I kept mistaking for disapproval.

I was waiting for an interview and had been rehearsing answers in my head. The fish offered an alternative occupation. They passed through a ruined castle no person had ever lived in, emerged behind a plastic plant and continued without appearing to need a reason. Bubbles climbed a transparent tube with patient regularity. Each time I tried to remember an impressive phrase, the silver group turned again and scattered the words. The room's clock seemed less persuasive than the water.

When the receptionist called my name, I stood too quickly and almost left my bag behind. The interview still mattered; the aquarium had not made me indifferent to it. But for several minutes it had loosened the tight knot of preparation. I walked towards the door with fewer sentences arranged in advance and a little more room to hear the first question.

Refer to the whole of Source A. Analyse how the writer uses language to convey the effect of watching the aquarium on the waiting applicant. Explain the effects of specific words, phrases and language choices, using evidence from the passage.