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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
Chapter 4. The Sea-Chest
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of Treasure Island is suspenseful and intense. It is, after all, an adventure story that revolves around exploration and discovery.
The novel begins with the mysterious arrival of Billy Bones, an intimidating pirate who stays at the Admiral Benbow inn run by Jim Hawkins and his family. Billy Bones's introduction to the narrative immediately creates tension and sets up the rest of the novel's mood. Bones terrorizes the inn's patrons with his drinking. His presence at the Admiral Benbow eventually introduces Jim to the dangerous but thrilling world of pirates and treasure.
The novel's author, Robert Louis Stevenson, uses imagery, particularly sound, to build suspense throughout Treasure Island and create a heightened mood. This can be seen in Chapter 4, for example, after Jim and his mother search through the now dead Billy Bones's chest and find gold:
I had heard in the silent, frosty air, a sound that brought my heart into my mouth—the tap-tapping of the blind man’s stick upon the frozen road. It drew nearer and nearer, while we sat holding our breath. Then it struck sharp on the inn door, and then we could hear the handle being turned, and the bolt rattling as the wretched being tried to enter; and then there was a long time of silence both within and without.
Jim knows that Pew is also after the treasure and anxiously anticipates his arrival. The passage conveys the sense of danger Jim feels as he and his mother sort through Bones's hidden treasure. To emphasize the tension in that moment, the story uses descriptive language to evoke Jim's fear and hesitation, with a particular focus on the sounds he observes as he listens for Pew's movements. The silence is characterized as harsh and foreboding. The repetition of letters in the phrases "tap-tapping" and "struck sharp," an example of alliteration, mimic the noises Jim describes. The rhythm of these phrases creates a feeling of unease in the reader.
Treasure Island's mood is particularly heightened in Chapter 32 after Jim and the pirates find a human skeleton they assume was once a member of Captain Flint's crew. As the group walks on, they suddenly hear:
A thin, high, trembling voice struck up the well-known air and words:
Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest—
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
I have never seen more dreadfully affected than the pirates. The colour went from their six faces like enchantment; some leaped to their feet, some clawed hold of others; Morgan groveled on the ground.
As fear strikes the pirates, the story uses figurative language to make their actions vivid to the reader. Jim uses a simile and compares the image of their faces turning white to that of a magic trick or spell. He also uses the verbs "leaped," "clawed," and "groveled," words that bring to mind animals, hinting at their lawless nature.
Related Themes:
Chapter 32. The Treasure Hunt—The Voice among the Trees
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of Treasure Island is suspenseful and intense. It is, after all, an adventure story that revolves around exploration and discovery.
The novel begins with the mysterious arrival of Billy Bones, an intimidating pirate who stays at the Admiral Benbow inn run by Jim Hawkins and his family. Billy Bones's introduction to the narrative immediately creates tension and sets up the rest of the novel's mood. Bones terrorizes the inn's patrons with his drinking. His presence at the Admiral Benbow eventually introduces Jim to the dangerous but thrilling world of pirates and treasure.
The novel's author, Robert Louis Stevenson, uses imagery, particularly sound, to build suspense throughout Treasure Island and create a heightened mood. This can be seen in Chapter 4, for example, after Jim and his mother search through the now dead Billy Bones's chest and find gold:
I had heard in the silent, frosty air, a sound that brought my heart into my mouth—the tap-tapping of the blind man’s stick upon the frozen road. It drew nearer and nearer, while we sat holding our breath. Then it struck sharp on the inn door, and then we could hear the handle being turned, and the bolt rattling as the wretched being tried to enter; and then there was a long time of silence both within and without.
Jim knows that Pew is also after the treasure and anxiously anticipates his arrival. The passage conveys the sense of danger Jim feels as he and his mother sort through Bones's hidden treasure. To emphasize the tension in that moment, the story uses descriptive language to evoke Jim's fear and hesitation, with a particular focus on the sounds he observes as he listens for Pew's movements. The silence is characterized as harsh and foreboding. The repetition of letters in the phrases "tap-tapping" and "struck sharp," an example of alliteration, mimic the noises Jim describes. The rhythm of these phrases creates a feeling of unease in the reader.
Treasure Island's mood is particularly heightened in Chapter 32 after Jim and the pirates find a human skeleton they assume was once a member of Captain Flint's crew. As the group walks on, they suddenly hear:
A thin, high, trembling voice struck up the well-known air and words:
Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest—
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
I have never seen more dreadfully affected than the pirates. The colour went from their six faces like enchantment; some leaped to their feet, some clawed hold of others; Morgan groveled on the ground.
As fear strikes the pirates, the story uses figurative language to make their actions vivid to the reader. Jim uses a simile and compares the image of their faces turning white to that of a magic trick or spell. He also uses the verbs "leaped," "clawed," and "groveled," words that bring to mind animals, hinting at their lawless nature.
Related Themes:
