Learn Italian: Fluttuavo nella stanza e l'atmosfera diventava sempre più surreale. - I was floating in the room and the atmosphere became more and more surreal.

Fluttuavo nella stanza e l'atmosfera diventava sempre più surreale.

I was floating in the room and the atmosphere became more and more surreal.

Breakdown of Fluttuavo nella stanza e l'atmosfera diventava sempre più surreale.

and

in / made of (material)

Questions & Answers about Fluttuavo nella stanza e l'atmosfera diventava sempre più surreale.

Usually, a narrative sequence might use the passato prossimo for the new events. Why are both verbs in the imperfetto here?

This is a classic example of the imperfetto onirico (dream imperfect). When recounting dreams, Italian often uses the imperfetto to describe both the setting and the actions. This creates a detached, suspended feeling, as if you are describing an ongoing parallel reality rather than a chronological sequence of completed historical events.

Could I use galleggiavo instead of fluttuavo to mean I was floating?

Usually not! Galleggiare means to stay afloat on the surface of a liquid, like a cork on water. Fluttuare means to float, hover, or drift in the air or space, which perfectly fits this surreal dream context of floating around a room.

Why is more and more surreal translated as sempre più surreale instead of using più e più?

In Italian, the structure sempre più plus an adjective is the standard way to express increasingly or a gradual increase of a trait. While più e più exists, it means repeatedly or many times, and is not used to modify adjectives. You can also use sempre meno for less and less.

If the atmosphere changed, couldn't I use the passato prossimo and say è diventata?