The quote uses "imagery" to help the reader picture what the character is seeing and it gives details that would make it easier for a reader to understand.
Imagery is the literary term used for language and description that appeals to our five senses. When a writer attempts to describe something so that it appeals to our sense of smell, sight, taste, touch, or hearing; he/she has used imagery. Often, imagery is built on other literary devices, such as simile or metaphor, as the author uses comparisons to appeal to our senses.
Set in a mental hospital in the 1960's, the novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" is the story of Randle Patrick McMurphy, and his attempt to thwart the head of the ward into which he is transferred. The head of the ward is Nurse Ratched, referred to by the patients as the Big Nurse. The story is told in first-person narration through the eyes of Chief Bromden, a six foot two Indian who has pretended for the past thirty years to be deaf and dumb.
Check out these 10 Tips to Read More and Read Better shared by Tim Challies.