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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 “Raymond’s Run” is primarily tense, though it ends on a joyful note. The tension in the story is due to all of the stress that the narrator, Squeaky, is trying to manage—not only is she her cognitively impaired older brother’s full-time caretaker, but she also has to protect him (and herself) from constant bullying, all while preparing for the big neighborhood race she is expected to win and avoiding her mother’s pleas for her to engage in more feminine activities.
It isn’t until the climactic race scene that the tension in the story shifts to joy—not because Squeaky wins the race (which she does), but because she has an epiphany, while watching Raymond run alongside the race, that she could let go of her competitiveness and become his coach, finding meaning in supporting him rather than bolstering herself. The following passage captures this excited and unburdened mood after Squeaky’s epiphany:
So I stand there with my new plans, laughing out loud by this time as Raymond jumps down from the fence and runs over with his teeth showing and his arms down to the side, which no one before him has quite mastered as a running style. And by the time he comes over I’m jumping up and down so glad to see him—my brother Raymond, a great runner in the family tradition.
The joyful mood in this passage comes across in the description of Squeaky “laughing out loud” and “jumping up and down so glad to see” Raymond, who is suddenly “a great runner in the family tradition.” That Squeaky does not criticize the unusual way that Raymond runs (“with his teeth showing and his arms down to the side”) but describes how no one else “has quite mastered [it] as a running style” shows how much she respects and honors Raymond for the unique person that he is, which also adds to the joyful mood.
Related Themes:
