Most children brought up in brooklyn before the first world war remember day there with a peculiar tenderness. it was the day children went around “ragamuffin” or “slamming gates,” wearing costumes topped off by a penny mask.

how does smith use language to reveal setting?

she uses syntax such as “first world war” and “ day.”
she uses themes such as “first world war” and “ day.”
she uses diction such as “first world war” and “ day.”
she uses diction to structure the words in a way to make them easier to understand.

She uses diction such as “First World War” and “Thanksgiving Day.”

Diction is just another way to say words. In this passage, the author uses the words "First World War" and "Thanksgiving Day" to indicate the setting. She also uses "Brooklyn". "First World War" tells you a range of years the story could have taken place during. "Thanksgiving Day" gives you the time of year, and usually also comes with a positive connotation of thanks and giving.

in paragraph 6 of "sinners in the hands of an angry god" by jonathan edwards, he talks about how doing good things alone will not save men from going to hell because they're at the mercy of the will of god. "spiritual reform" provides men with a false sense of safety.