An evening at the society

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

Edwin reached the society’s rooms just as the members were gathering around a brass telescope. He had spent the afternoon polishing the small lens he hoped to show them. From the doorway, he heard their easy laughter and the names of places he had never visited.

Mr Bell glanced up. “You may leave your things there,” he said, pointing to a shelf behind the door. Then he turned back to the others. Edwin put his lens on the shelf. It looked smaller there than it had in his hand.

For a while, he listened as the members discussed the night sky. Whenever he tried to speak, someone else began a sentence. At last Mr Bell announced that the meeting was over. The members pulled on their coats and departed in pairs, still talking. Edwin waited until the room was empty before taking his lens from the shelf.

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to present Edwin’s experience of being left out. In your answer, consider the description of the members and Edwin’s lens, and how the scene develops from his arrival to his departure. Support your answer with references to the passage.