But the towering earth was tired of sitting in one position. She moved suddenly and the houses crumbled, the mountains heaved horrible, and the work of a mi...

The effect of the extract "But the towering earth was tired of sitting in one position. She moved suddenly and the houses crumbled, the mountains heaved horrible, and the work of a million years was lost" is conveyed through the use of climax. Climax is a literary device where the intensity of a situation or event increases gradually to reach a peak. In this extract, the tension builds as the description of the earth's movement becomes more dramatic. The use of the word "suddenly" adds to the effect, making the reader feel the abruptness of the earth's movement. The climax is reached with the phrase "the work of a million years was lost," which emphasizes the devastating effects of the earthquake.