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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 “The Management of Grief” is primarily a melancholy one. The story opens with Shaila reckoning with the loss of her husband and two sons in the horrific terrorist attack on Air India Flight 182 and follows her over the next several months as she goes to Ireland to try to identify their bodies, to India to seek solace in the arms of her family, and back to her home in Toronto to rebuild her life.
The following passage—which comes as Shaila and her friend Kusum (who has also lost family members in the attack) stand by the ocean in Ireland—captures the story’s sad mood:
“That water felt warm, Shaila,” she says at length.
“You can’t,” I say. “We have to wait for our turn to come.”
I haven’t eaten in four days, haven’t brushed my teeth.
“I know,” she says. “I tell myself I have no right to grieve. They are in a better place than we are. My swami says I should be thrilled for them. My swami says depression is a sign of our selfishness.”
Maybe I’m selfish. Selfishly I break away from Kusum and run, sandals slapping against stones, to the water’s edge.
This passage opens with Kusum implying that she wants to join her family in the “warm water” via suicide. Though Shaila chastises Kusum for this thought, the mood remains dark as Shaila thinks to herself about how she hasn’t eaten or brushed her teeth in days, choices that imply a disinvestment in her own health and well-being. Similarly, though Kusum makes a hopeful claim about how their family members “are in a better place,” the mood of the story remains melancholy, with Shaila reflecting on her “selfishness” and then isolating herself from her friend.
It is notable that, in the final lines of the story, the mood shifts into a hopeful place. Shaila goes to pick up a package from a store on a “beautiful, sunny day” and sees a vision of her husband telling her, “Your time has come […] Go, be brave.” She drops the package—a symbol for the burdensome nature of her grief—and starts walking, optimistically noting to herself that “this voyage I have begun will end.”
Related Themes:
