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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 Dawn is unnerving. Butler opens the first chapter with a haunting scene: Lilith wakes up in an enclosed room, a captive once more to her unknown captors. Even the first line—“Alive! Still alive. Alive… again.”—instills anxiety in the reader. Not only is Lilith waking up in the hands of faceless captors, but this is also not the first time she has done so.
At the outset, Lilith knows so little about her situation, and the endless questions create the same hue of uncertainty in the reader. Moreover, the Oankali are similar to humans, but they are also drastically different in several significant aspects, particularly in their emotional constraints and values. Their sexual transformation is more animalistic than human, and their treatment of human beings as child-bearing vessels is questionable at best.
Despite the harrowing elements of the novel, the mood is also immensely thought-provoking. The dilemmas surrounding autonomy and consent, as well as the decisions Lilith must make for humanity’s survival, create an opportunity for the reader to understand and participate in Lilith’s struggle. Through her stream-of-consciousness monologues and pages of questions, Lilith allows the reader to vicariously question the fate of humanity and the ethics of the Oankali.
Related Themes:
