Question

Read the sentence below and answer the following question:

But he answered not a word; like the last column of some ruined temple, he remained standing mute and solitary in the middle of the otherwise deserted room. —Herman Melville, "Bartleby the Scrivener"

In the bolded section, how does the addition of "not a word" change the impact of this introductory clause?
a
It emphasizes the lack of response: no answer was given at all.

b
It emphasizes the reference to solitary later in the sentence: "standing mute and solitary."

c
It suggests the narrator needed something: even a non-verbal response would have worked.

d
It suggests the feeling of isolation the narrator feels: the room is deserted.