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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 The Moonstone is intense, emotional, and provocative throughout. This is not unusual for a novel of its genre, as sensation fiction published in serial formats was written to make the reader feel things intensely. This would, authors like Collins believed, keep an audience rapt as the stories unfolded. Further, there are very fews lows in this book. Each "narrative" keeps the reader in intense suspense, as perspectives shift and the reader's sympathies change. As the various currents of plot gain speed and strength, the reader is provoked into a series of heightened emotional states. The novel zigzags wildly between romance and tragedy, crime and punishment, sin and forgiveness, and the reader's mood is forced to follow suit.
At the beginning of the novel the reader feels confusion and doubt as Collins bombards them with information about British India, the powerful Moonstone, and the complicated relationships surrounding the Verinder family. They sympathize with the love triangle between Rosanna, Rachel, and Blake, and feel unease and disgust as the unpleasant motives of other characters like Colonel Herncastle begin to reveal themselves. Even early on, the reader is made to feel confused and insecure about the direction of the Moonstone investigation. Collins keeps the reader on the edge of their seat in suspense as suspect after suspect and clue after clue are unveiled.
When Rosanna commits suicide the emotional intensity of the plot thickens very quickly. Rosanna was a very sympathetic and appealing character, and her incredibly sad suicide note makes the reader feel frustration and grief on her behalf. Very quickly, however, in a way that's also characteristic of both serial and sensation fiction, they are plunged into surprise and shock as Blake reveals Rosanna's secret: that he himself stole the Moonstone.
By the end of the novel, the reader feels tugged in many different directions by the various opinions and positions of Collins's narrators. They are invited to feel joy for the resolutions of the various love stories, vindication for the punishment of unjust characters, and a sense of completion as the Moonstone is returned to India and life regains equilibrium for Collins's "good" characters. They also feel some satisfaction as deliberately unbearable characters like Miss Clack fail miserably and are forced to depart England, and sadness about the tragic deaths of noble but flawed characters like Ezra Jennings.
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