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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
The Long Stumble
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood in The Marrow Thieves is bleak yet hopeful, often oscillating between the two. The indigenous characters' circumstances are dire. Depending on their immediate circumstances, they alternate between hope for the future and despair.
Note the difference in mood between the two following scenes. In the first scene, from "The Long Stumble," the dour, despairing mood reflects Frenchie's hopelessness after RiRi's murder:
I made my way up [to Miig] while he waited. Before I would have rushed, but now I wasn’t sure I even wanted to join him. I wasn’t really sure of anything. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to run anymore. Maybe I could just sit and wait for the Recruiters to pick me up. Maybe I could use the last bullet I had in my gun to just go away.
Frenchie has lost his faith and survival drive in this scene, ready to end it all. He no longer sees the point of living when faced with the reality of other indigenous peoples' betrayal. As the narrator of this section, Frenchie's despair darkens the mood, leaving readers feeling similar sentiments.
In contrast, this second scene from "The Miracle of Minerva" generates a distinctly hopeful mood in both Frenchie and the reader:
As it turns out, every dream Minerva had ever dreamed was in the language. It was her gift, her secret, her plan. She’d collected the dreams like bright beads on a string of nights that wound around her each day, every day until this one. [...] The system failed, failed all the way through the complication of mechanics and computers, burning each one down like the pop and sizzle of a string of Christmas lights, shuddered to ruin one by one.
After learning about the miracle Minerva performs, channeling the power of her dreams to fight against the Recruiters, Frenchie finds his hope for the future emboldened. The mood subsequently shifts towards hopefulness towards the end of the novel, reflecting Frenchie's renewed empowerment and faith in community.
The Miracle of Minerva
Explanation and Analysis:
Covered in "The Long Stumble Explanation and Analysis"
The mood in The Marrow Thieves is bleak yet hopeful, often oscillating between the two. The indigenous characters' circumstances are dire. Depending on their immediate circumstances, they alternate between hope for the future and despair.
Note the difference in mood between the two following scenes. In the first scene, from "The Long Stumble," the dour, despairing mood reflects Frenchie's hopelessness after RiRi's murder:
I made my way up [to Miig] while he waited. Before I would have rushed, but now I wasn’t sure I even wanted to join him. I wasn’t really sure of anything. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to run anymore. Maybe I could just sit and wait for the Recruiters to pick me up. Maybe I could use the last bullet I had in my gun to just go away.
Frenchie has lost his faith and survival drive in this scene, ready to end it all. He no longer sees the point of living when faced with the reality of other indigenous peoples' betrayal. As the narrator of this section, Frenchie's despair darkens the mood, leaving readers feeling similar sentiments.
In contrast, this second scene from "The Miracle of Minerva" generates a distinctly hopeful mood in both Frenchie and the reader:
As it turns out, every dream Minerva had ever dreamed was in the language. It was her gift, her secret, her plan. She’d collected the dreams like bright beads on a string of nights that wound around her each day, every day until this one. [...] The system failed, failed all the way through the complication of mechanics and computers, burning each one down like the pop and sizzle of a string of Christmas lights, shuddered to ruin one by one.
After learning about the miracle Minerva performs, channeling the power of her dreams to fight against the Recruiters, Frenchie finds his hope for the future emboldened. The mood subsequently shifts towards hopefulness towards the end of the novel, reflecting Frenchie's renewed empowerment and faith in community.
