Read this sentence from “The Gift of the Magi” and answer the question. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard.

What is the effect of using gray to describe the cat, the fence, and the backyard?

A) It suggests that Della would prefer a more colorful existence.
B) It implies that the weather is unseasonably miserable.
C) It underscores the disappointing circumstance of Della's life.
D) It highlights the blandness of Della's holiday plans.