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Irony
Definition of Mood
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect of a piece of writing... read full definition
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect... read full definition
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes... read full definition
Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of “A Simple Heart” is somewhat contradictory. Over the course of the story (including the flashback to Félicité’s childhood), Félicité has watched her parents die one after the other, been abandoned by the man she loved, experienced violent abuse and neglect in the workplace, and grieved the deaths of Victor, Virginie, Madame Aubain, and Loulou.
While all of this suffering and loss certainly adds a melancholic mood to the story at points, Flaubert never allows the story to fully descend into despair. This is because, through every hardship, Félicité holds onto hope, honoring those she has lost while remaining open-hearted. And, even when Félicité’s own time comes and she prepares to die, the mood of the story is more wistful and contemplative than bleak or sad:
A blue haze of incense floated up into Félicité's room. She opened her nostrils wide to breathe it in, savouring it with mystical fervour. Her eyes closed and a smile played on her lips. One by one her heartbeats became slower, growing successively weaker and fainter like a fountain running dry, an echo fading away. With her dying breath she imagined she saw a huge parrot hovering above her head as the heavens parted to receive her.
Here, Félicité “savour[s] with mystical fervour” the final smells she will smell, and she even smiles. Her heart slows down “like a fountain running dry” or “an echo fading away”—two poignant descriptions that suggest her death is natural rather than tragic. The story ultimately ends with a sense of hope and peace as Félicité is reunited with her lost parrot—who has come to represent the Holy Spirit in her mind—and transitions to the afterlife with a sense of joy.
Related Themes:
