09/03/1409/03/14

Mood, Tone, and Mood, Tone, and StyleStyle Part 1

Just like people have different Just like people have different personalities, every story has its personalities, every story has its own personality – one that you own personality – one that you

respond to negatively or respond to negatively or positively. You are going to learn positively. You are going to learn about the elements that make up about the elements that make up

a story’s personality. a story’s personality.

These elements are These elements are

Mood, Tone, and Mood, Tone, and Style.Style.

SO…SO…What’s the What’s the

Difference??Difference??

MoodMood

Mood is the feeling the Mood is the feeling the writer creates for writer creates for readers – it is what the readers – it is what the reader FEELS!reader FEELS!

MoodMood

Words to Describe Words to Describe MoodMoodjoyfuljoyfulthreatening excitingthreatening exciting

eerieeeriepeacefulpeaceful scaryscary

eerie

Peaceful MoodPeaceful Mood

They were standing in a They were standing in a sunlit fieldsunlit field, and the air , and the air about them was moving about them was moving with the with the delicious delicious fragrance…fragrance… from A Wrinkle in Timefrom A Wrinkle in Time

Read “Dragonwings” along with Read “Dragonwings” along with me on pg. 417.me on pg. 417.

Complete the first square at Complete the first square at the top of the handout.the top of the handout.

ToneTone

The attitude of the The attitude of the author toward the author toward the subject of the text.subject of the text.

How can you identify the How can you identify the tone?tone?

The writer uses The writer uses detailsdetails, , imagery,imagery, figurative language, figurative language, and dictionand diction to give us clues. to give us clues.

Read “Knots in my Yo-Yo String” Read “Knots in my Yo-Yo String” with me on p. 417.with me on p. 417.

Complete the square on the Complete the square on the top of the handout to the top of the handout to the right.right.

Is the tone amused, irritated, Is the tone amused, irritated, joking, or something else??joking, or something else??

… … I worked in construction, mostly I worked in construction, mostly hitting my fingers with a hammer and hitting my fingers with a hammer and

making serious attempts at cutting making serious attempts at cutting something off my body with power saws something off my body with power saws

while I tried to build houses.while I tried to build houses.

Mocking and Sarcastic Mocking and Sarcastic Tone:Tone:

Please fill in the blanks with words Please fill in the blanks with words or phrases to describe a food or phrases to describe a food

choice.choice.

_____________ is my _____________ is my ________ food. Just the ________ food. Just the

smell of it ______________. smell of it ______________. It tastes ________________. I It tastes ________________. I

_____________ it._____________ it.

You set the tone of this writing by You set the tone of this writing by the descriptive words that you use. the descriptive words that you use.

We are going to read five We are going to read five examples of your writing. What examples of your writing. What tone do you recognize in each tone do you recognize in each example?example? What mood does each What mood does each

example put you in?example put you in?

MoodMoodIf your team won If your team won a soccer game a soccer game against a team against a team that was sure to that was sure to

beat you, the beat you, the moodmood would be would be

excitement.excitement.

ToneToneLater, the Later, the other team other team says, “Great says, “Great game.” You game.” You will know will know their their tonetone by by the way they the way they say, “Great say, “Great game.” Is it game.” Is it bitter or bitter or sweet?sweet?

Part 2Part 2

Style – Refers to a Style – Refers to a writer’s unique way of writer’s unique way of communicating ideas.communicating ideas.

Elements of Style:Elements of Style:

A writer’s use of A writer’s use of language is a language is a

basic element of basic element of style.style.

Refers to the Refers to the lengths and types lengths and types

of sentences of sentences writer’s use.writer’s use.

Some writers are Some writers are known for their use known for their use

of imagery of imagery (language that (language that

appeals to reader’s appeals to reader’s senses).senses).

FromFrom

Claudia and Jamie awoke Claudia and Jamie awoke very early the next very early the next morning. It was still dark. morning. It was still dark. Their stomachs felt like Their stomachs felt like tubes of toothpaste that tubes of toothpaste that had been all squeezed out. had been all squeezed out. Giant Economy sized tubes. Giant Economy sized tubes. They had to be out of bed They had to be out of bed and out of sight before the and out of sight before the museum staff came on museum staff came on duty.duty.

Konigsburg uses casual, informal Konigsburg uses casual, informal language like language like giantgiant and and squeezed squeezed

outout..

She uses short, simple sentences. This creates a straightforward style.

She used humorous images like stomachs like tubes of toothpaste. This create a playful style.

FromFrom

Miyax pushed back the Miyax pushed back the hood of her seal skin hood of her seal skin parka and looked at the parka and looked at the Arctic Sun. It was a Arctic Sun. It was a yellow disc in a lime-yellow disc in a lime-green sky, the colors of green sky, the colors of six o’clock in the evening six o’clock in the evening and the time when the and the time when the wolves awoke.wolves awoke.

Quickly she put down her Quickly she put down her cooking pot and crept up cooking pot and crept up to the top of a dome-to the top of a dome-shaped frost heave, one shaped frost heave, one of the many earth of the many earth buckles that rise and fall buckles that rise and fall in the crackling cold.in the crackling cold.

George uses precise, George uses precise, descriptive adjectives, such as descriptive adjectives, such as dome-shapeddome-shaped..

She uses longer, complex She uses longer, complex sentences that are packed with sentences that are packed with descriptions.descriptions.

George uses vivid images George uses vivid images like like yellow discs yellow discs in a in a lime-greenlime-green sky. sky.

Read the excerpt from Read the excerpt from Treasure Treasure IslandIsland by Robert Louis by Robert Louis

Stevenson on page 419 of the Stevenson on page 419 of the Literature book.Literature book.

Find three images that help you Find three images that help you hear what is happening. This is hear what is happening. This is

the author’s style.the author’s style.Are his sentences short and Are his sentences short and simple or long and complex?simple or long and complex?

Read the excerpt from Read the excerpt from Duffy’s Duffy’s Jacket Jacket by Bruce Coville on page 419 by Bruce Coville on page 419

in the Literature book.in the Literature book.Compare the sentences with the Compare the sentences with the

ones from ones from Treasure IslandTreasure Island..Which words or phrases are informal Which words or phrases are informal and sound like everyday phrases?and sound like everyday phrases?These all add to the author’s style!These all add to the author’s style!

Read the excerpt from Read the excerpt from Tuck Tuck Everlasting Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt on by Natalie Babbitt on page 420 in the Literature book. page 420 in the Literature book.

Now read the excerpt from Now read the excerpt from Block Block Party Party by Jewell Parker Rhodes by Jewell Parker Rhodes

on p. 421.on p. 421.

Make a T-chart. Write the names Make a T-chart. Write the names of each of the story excerpts at of each of the story excerpts at the top of your columns. Now the top of your columns. Now

record the differences between record the differences between the summer days from each the summer days from each

passage. Be sure and cite the passage. Be sure and cite the line number for each of your line number for each of your

examples. examples.

At the bottom of each column, At the bottom of each column, identify the mood and tone from identify the mood and tone from

each passage. You may use each passage. You may use your group members for advice. your group members for advice. (The style of each writer will help (The style of each writer will help

you with your decisions.)you with your decisions.)

You are now an EXPERT on You are now an EXPERT on Mood, Tone, Style!Mood, Tone, Style!

Enjoy what you read even more Enjoy what you read even more – taaaa-daaaaa! – taaaa-daaaaa!