The first portrait

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

Clara remained beside the studio door, gripping her grandmother’s glove. Mrs Bell brought forward a small chair and brushed its velvet seat with her sleeve. “There is nothing here to fear,” she said. She placed a vase of paper flowers on the table and turned their brightest faces towards Clara. Then she adjusted the curtains until a square of sunlight rested at the child’s feet.

Clara sat down. Mrs Bell spoke cheerfully as she prepared the camera, describing the finished portrait as a present that would delight the whole family. “You need only keep still and blink afterwards,” she added.

Mrs Bell disappeared beneath the camera cloth. There was a dry click, followed by silence. When she emerged, her smile had tightened. She assured Clara that everything was perfectly well, but her bright voice returned too quickly. She straightened the paper flowers, stepped back and straightened them again. By then, Clara was no longer watching the camera. She was watching Mrs Bell.

Analyse the ways in which the writer uses language and structure to present Mrs Bell trying to reassure Clara.

You should consider:

• the words and images used to make the studio seem friendly
• how the focus changes after the camera clicks.

Use references from the passage to support your response.