Subject and verbs. people write blogs on every imaginable subject

What does the simile add to the passage

The great depression, which lasted throughout the 1930s in the united states, affected many people, and it had a devastating impact on an entire subset of the u.s. population. modernist writer john steinbeck wrote about the toll the depression took on these families, many of whom were forced to leave their farms and find other sources of income.

What is the source of tension in this excerpt? ellery searching everything insects filling the light fixtures ellery standing on the desks louise carpenter whispering