Mood

//__Mood __//


 * Definition:: **An established emotional tone or general attitude.


 * Origin:: ** Middle English, Old English, German, Gothic, Old Norse


 * See also:: ** [|Tone]

Definition taken from (dictionary.com).


 * Examples ** from text:

1) In the audio recording of //The Lottery//, there is an unsettling mood, due to the hints of uncertainty presented amid the careless tone. In the beginning of the recording, citizens of the town begin to gather for the lottery, which sounds as if it is a holiday or a festival. Violin music is heard throughout the story, producing a sense of playfulness. We learn that the boys have been spending the day collecting stones, which seems a bit odd. Tessie Hutchinson is eager to go to the summer store after the lottery, her husband, Bill Hutchinson, is reluctant to talk about “after”. Bill even goes on to say that he was thinking about moving out of town before lottery day. The narrator comments about the men, “The jokes were quiet, and they smiled rather than laughed.” Though everyone seems to be in good nature, there is uneasiness about the situation. As the recording progresses, the violin music becomes more somber, and the villagers prepare for the lottery drawing.
 * As the story continues, we come to understand that the lottery is an event in which someone is chosen to be stoned by the rest of the villagers. Tessie Hutchinson is chosen, and as the story ends, she is screaming while the rest of the villagers stone her to death. Through the narration, dialogue, and interaction of the characters, the story achieves a mood that is carefree, yet ominous. Throughout the audio recording, this general attitude is established, as we eventually learn of the horror of the lottery.

2) In the short story by Edgar Allen Poe, //The Masque of the Red Death//, there is an ominous mood that is present throughout the story. As there is a plague in the land, Prince Prospero attempts to escape the plague by locking himself in his palace. He eventually decides to host a masquerade ball in his palace, which he decorates lavishly. The seventh and final room is decorated black with red windows. These colors, dark and menacing, are present in the final room, symbolizing the idea of death at the end of one's life. There is a large ebony clock in this room, which tolls loudly at the hour, causing each member at the ball to stop. This signifies the passage of time, and the inevitability of death, as every man must die eventually. A new guest appears at midnight who possesses a mask that resembles a corpse, a cloak that appears to be a funeral shroud, and a face that is splattered with blood. It becomes clear that this man will determine the fate of Prince Prospero, as they are united in the final room. Unable to escape his destiny, Prince Prospero dies of the Red Plague.
 * "There stood against the western wall, a gigantic clock of ebony. Its pendulum swung to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang; and when the minute-hand made the circuit of the face, and the hour was to be stricken, there came from the brazen lungs of the clock a sound which was clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical, but of so peculiar a note and emphasis that, at each lapse of an hour, the musicians of the orchestra were constrained to pause, momentarily, in their performance, to harken to the sound; and thus the waltzers perforce ceased their evolutions and there was a brief disconcert of the whole gay company; and, while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused revery or meditation.

3) Throughout the computer game Braid, created by Jonathon Blow, there is a melancholic theme. The soundtrack contains an underlying somber feeling, as there is an array of piano and strings that are arranged to produce a gloomy tone. The art scheme enhances this theme as well, since creating a world that seems beautiful yet distant, as displayed through the landscapes which appear to have been water-painted. The element of time is critical to this game as well and creates a sense of regret or disappointment. The title of each world highlights this concept, with names such as "Time and Forgiveness", "Time and Decision", or "Hesitance". The person controlling the game is able to reverse the actions of Tim, the main character, in order to make up for his mistakes previously made in the game. This element of time, which correlates with the theme, is especially understood at the end of the game. In the final level, it appears as if Tim is avoiding obstacles in order to save a princess. However, once time is reversed, we are exposed to the truth, as the princess is running away from Tim, placing obstacles in his way in order to escape.

(CG)