The cracked bell

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

Mr Venn rang the handbell. Once, its clear note had brought every pupil to a halt. Today it gave a dull, broken cough. The boys beside the gate continued their game. He rang again, lifting his arm higher, as though height might repair the sound. One boy looked round, smiled and returned to the others.

Mr Venn walked towards them. The game stopped, but not before he had crossed the entire yard. He gave the usual instruction to stand in line, and they obeyed. In the schoolroom he placed the bell behind a pile of books. For the remainder of the morning, he called each class by name. His voice was perfectly audible. He could not help noticing how often he had to use it.

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to present the schoolmaster’s loss of authority. Support your answer with references to the passage.