Mood in Literature

Introduction

Mood, as a literary device, refers to the emotional atmosphere or prevailing emotional tone that a literary work conveys to its readers.

It is established through the author’s careful selection of descriptive language, imagery, setting, and narrative style, which collectively evoke specific feelings or sensations within the reader. Mood plays a crucial role in shaping the reader’s engagement with the text and influencing their overall interpretation of the narrative’s emotional essence.

How to Create Mood in a Fictional Work

Creating mood in a work can be a subtle and nuanced process, but here are some tips to help you get started:

Step	Explanation	Practical Example
Use Descriptive Language	Employ descriptive adjectives and adverbs to enrich the text. Craft sensory details for reader engagement. Choose words to evoke desired emotions.	In describing a forest, use “lush, verdant foliage” to convey a vibrant and serene mood, or “foreboding shadows” to create a sense of mystery and tension.
Set the Scene	Establish the physical and emotional backdrop. Describe settings, time, and weather to align with the mood.	Depict a quiet seaside town at sunset with “golden hues painting the tranquil waves,” evoking a serene and nostalgic atmosphere.
Use Imagery	Utilize metaphors, similes, and comparisons. Create visual imagery. Connect images to emotions being conveyed.	Compare a smile to “sunlight breaking through clouds,” conjuring an image of warmth and happiness in a moment of joy.
Develop Your Characters	Portray characters’ emotions, thoughts, behaviors. Show interactions with surroundings. Foster reader empathy.	Reveal a protagonist’s trembling hands and racing heartbeat while facing a challenge, allowing readers to share their anxiety and anticipation.
Use Pacing and Tone	Regulate narrative rhythm for mood influence. Vary sentence lengths, structures. Match narrative voice to mood.	Use short, abrupt sentences during an intense chase scene to intensify the pace and tension, immersing readers in the urgency of the moment.
Experiment and Adapt	Recognize mood creation’s subjectivity. Explore techniques. Tailor methods to your work’s unique requirements.	Test combining imagery and character development in a reflective moment to evoke both a sense of place and the character’s emotional journey.

Remember, creating mood is not an exact science, and many different factors influence how your reader feels. Experiment with different techniques and see what works best for your particular work.

Benefits of Mood

1. Engages the Reader
   • Captures readers’ attention through emotional resonance.
   • Fosters a personal connection and emotional investment in the narrative.
2. Sets the Tone
   • Establishes the initial emotional context for the story.
   • Guides readers’ expectations and perceptions of the unfolding events.
3. Enhances the Theme
   • Amplifies the intended thematic messages and ideas.
   • Deepens readers’ understanding by aligning emotions with underlying concepts.
4. Creates Atmosphere
   • Immerses readers in a sensory-rich environment.
   • Conjures a distinct emotional backdrop that envelops the story.
5. Shows the Writer’s Skill
   • Demonstrates the author’s mastery in evoking emotions.
   • Highlights the writer’s ability to manipulate language and imagery effectively.

Mood and Literary Theory

Mood is a fundamental aspect of literature that has been analyzed and interpreted by various literary theories. Here are a few examples of how literary theories view mood:

Literary Theory	Interpretation of Mood	Example of Application of Theory on Mood
Reader Response Theory	The mood is subjective and created through the reader’s interpretation and response to the text.	“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen shows how different readers may interpret the mood as romantic, humorous, or satirical, depending on their individual responses to the characters and events.
Formalism Literary Theory	The mood is created through the use of literary devices and contributes to the overall structure.	T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land” uses fragmented imagery and disjointed narrative to create a mood of disillusionment and despair, reflecting the fragmented state of post-World War I society.
Psychological Criticism Literary Theory	The mood is created through the author’s language and imagery to evoke specific emotions in the reader.	Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” employs dark and suspenseful imagery to create a mood of fear and unease, eliciting a psychological response from the reader.
Postcolonial Literary Theory	The mood reflects the cultural and historical context, revealing attitudes and challenging dominant beliefs.	In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, the mood shifts from cultural pride to despair as the protagonist grapples with the impact of colonialism on his community.
Feminist Literary Theory	Here it is analyzed in terms of gender roles, power dynamics, and representation of women.	Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” explores the mood of confinement and oppression experienced by the female protagonist within a patriarchal society.
Marxist Literary Theory	The mood is examined based on economic and social structures, highlighting class struggles and inequalities.	John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath portrays the mood of economic hardship and societal injustice faced by the Joad family during the Great Depression.
Deconstructionist Literary Theory	Here it is deconstructed to reveal underlying contradictions and complexities in the text.	In William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet,” the deconstructionist perspective can reveal a mood that oscillates between uncertainty, madness, and existential crisis in the protagonist.
Psychoanalytic Literary Theory	Here it is explored through characters’ subconscious desires and psychological conflicts.	F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby can be analyzed through psychoanalytic theory to uncover the mood influenced by characters’ repressed longings and emotional struggles.

Suggested Readings

1. Abrams, M. Howard. The Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition. Oxford University Press, 1971.
2. Barthes, Roland. The Semiotic Challenge. Translated by Richard Howard, University of California Press, 1994.
3. Brooks, Cleanth. The Well Wrought Urn: Studies in the Structure of Poetry. Harcourt, Brace & World, 1947.
4. Frye, Northrop. Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays. Princeton University Press, 1957.
5. Freud, Sigmund. The Interpretation of Dreams. Translated by James Strachey, Basic Books, 2010.
6. Iser, Wolfgang. The Act of Reading: A Theory of Aesthetic Response. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978.
7. Lodge, David. The Modes of Modern Writing: Metaphor, Metonymy, and the Typology of Modern Literature. University of Chicago Press, 1977.
8. Wimsatt, W. K., and Monroe C. Beardsley. “The Intentional Fallacy.” The Sewanee Review, vol. 54, no. 3, 1946, pp. 468-488.

More from Literary Devices:

• Sonnet: Writing and Critique It
• Sonnet: A Poetic Genre
• Soliloquy: Writing and Use It