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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:
Although Atonement can overall be described as intense and gripping, the mood fluctuates frequently throughout the novel. The early chapters of the first part feel light and comfortable, as the narrator recounts various characters in or near the Tallis family moving through a beautiful summer's day. At the same time, the stifling heat, which only increases as the day progresses, corresponds with a growing tension. The characters' failure to understand each other contributes to a number of overlapping threads of antagonism. The mood that initially seems light turns increasingly intense, which serves as a signal that the novel is building toward an eruption of conflict.
Once this conflict erupts at the end of the first part, the story never fully returns to the light mood of the beginning. Set during WWII, the second and third parts are marked by an unnerving and tragic mood. In the second part, the narrator gives the reader insight into the dramatic fluctuations in Robbie's will to survive. And in the third part, the narrator reproduces Briony's grueling work at the hospital.
Although the third part seems to end with a happier, more resolved mood, the epilogue ruptures this hopeful turn. At first, the narrator leads the reader to believe that the novel ends with a touching sense of resolution: Robbie and Cecilia are back together again, and Briony finally has the chance to atone for her mistakes and resolve her guilt. In the epilogue, however, the reader finds out that Robbie and Cecilia both died during the war. As narrator, Briony discloses that it is only in the last version of her fictional work that "my lovers end well, standing side by side on a South London pavement as I walk away." Thus, the relief of the ending is replaced with regret—it turns out that Briony did not have the chance to atone during their lifetimes. Rather, the book she has written is her atonement, but it will only be published when she is dead as well.
Related Themes:
