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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
Mood
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of As I Lay Dying is gloomy and apprehensive. There is a strong current of unresolved mourning throughout the novel that is likely to leave the reader feeling slightly depressed and dissatisfied. Some moments in the book have a sense of morbid humor, since some of the events are so absurd and grotesque (like the coffin that nearly floats away in Chapter 35 or Vardaman accidentally boring holes into Addie’s corpse).
Darl exemplifies this mood in Chapter 10 when he declares, "It takes two people to make you, and one people to die. That’s how the world is going to end." The trite quote is factually true, but its emphasis on the darkly humorous and morbid sets the stage for the entire novel's mood as well as Darl's emotionality.
Additionally, readers may also feel conflicted throughout the book, as many of the characters are not particularly sympathetic or redeemable. It is difficult at times to root for them as individuals or as a family because of this. For instance, in Chapter 9, Anse complains that Addie (who is sick and about to die) has called a doctor: "And now I got to pay for it, me without a tooth in my head, hoping to get ahead enough so I could get my mouth fixed where I could eat God’s own victuals as a man should, and her hale and well as ere a woman in the land until that day." On the one hand, a reader might feel sorry for Anse that he has no teeth and has not received proper medical care. On the other, it is difficult to sympathize with a man who begrudges his wife's care on her deathbed. These kinds of contradictory feelings add tension to the mood of the whole book, helping to engage the reader as they make their own judgements on the different characters.
