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Metaphors
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 34
Explanation and Analysis—Excitement and Suspense:
The overall mood of Around the World in Eighty Days is one of excitement and suspense. The novel was first published in serial installments for readers to follow along with; they were timed according to the journey Fogg, Passepartout, and their companions took around the world. This pacing meant that readers could not devour the entire novel in a few sittings or flip ahead to see how things turned out. Instead, they had periods of anticipation where they waited to find out what would come of the travelers' predicaments.
Even for modern readers who have the entire novel in hand, it is never quite clear until the end whether or not Fogg is going to be able to do what he says he will. Just like the characters who place bets on Fogg, readers invest emotionally in his journey. The novel's first readers, who bought the newspaper to catch up on Fogg's adventures, invested financially as well. Fogg is often getting off track and very narrowly getting back on track, contributing to the book's excitement and suspense. For instance, he despairs at the end of Chapter 34:
Having made the tour of the world, he was behindhand five minutes. He had lost the wager!
The fact that his bet seems so narrowly lost heightens the stakes of the entire endeavor. There will still be another twist before the end of the novel: he has made it on time, after all. Readers are left at the end still questioning the extent to which Fogg ever had control of his timeline. If a little human mistake about time zones makes all the difference in whether or not he can make good on his word, is his initial hypothesis proven or not? The fact that this question is never quite resolved contributes to the novel's overall ambivalence about industrialization and its hold on the world. The mood the novel leaves the reader with is uncertainty that is no longer focused on the characters, but rather on the bigger questions the book has raised.
Related Themes:
