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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
Act 2
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of the play fluctuates between frustration with the stubbornness of its characters and sympathy for the struggles they undergo. Often, the mood parallels the tone; the reader feels similarly on edge as characters skirt around hard conversations and try to reckon with the burdens of their pasts
At a distance from the chaotic interior of Big Daddy's plantation home (and with some historical distance), the reader can make sense of the tensions that suffocate the family. Thus, the mood generated by the play is at times more sad or bleak than the tone of its characters.
One moment that represents this contrast between tone and mood is in Act 2 when Brick explains to Big Daddy the "click" he needs to feel in order to stop drinking:
BRICK: Switch clicking off in my head, turning the hot light off and the cool night on and—
[He looks up, smiling sadly.]
—all of a sudden there's—peace!
BIG DADDY [whistles long and soft with astonishment; he goes back to Brick and clasps his son's two shoulders]:
Jesus! I didn't know it had gotten that bad with you. Why, boy, you're—alcoholic!
While Big Daddy criticizes and even berates Brick, the reader can see how Big Daddy is partially criticizing himself, and the cycles of blame create a depressing atmosphere. Even when certain characters reach emotional heights, whether those heights have to do with anger, sadness, excitement, or joy, the reader often feels gloomy about troubles already faced or troubles yet to come. At the same time, the reader cannot help but acknowledge the larger context of the play, in which families like those of Big Daddy were on the wrong side of history. They may lose some sympathy accordingly.
Related Themes:
