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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
Volume 4, Part 4: Chapters 1–3
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of the novel is often tense and conflicted, reflecting the inner turmoil of its characters, who question the meaning of their lives and the value of their actions. A pivotal scene depicting Natasha's response to the death of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky exemplifies this agitated and fretful mood:
After she felt herself deserted by Princess Marya and solitary in her grief, Natasha spent most of her time alone in her room, sitting with her legs tucked up at the corner of the sofa, and, while tearing or kneading something with her thin, tense fingers, stared with an intent, fixed gaze at whatever her eyes rested on. The solitude exhausted her, tormented her; but it was necessary for her [...] It kept seeming to her that she was just on the point of understanding, of penetrating, that terrible, overwhelming question at which her inner gaze was directed.
In this passage, Natasha's grief manifests not in tears but a state of agitation. Stressed, she keeps her hands busy "tearing or kneading something with her thin, tense fingers" and looks around the room with an "intent, fixed gaze." She is "exhausted" and "tormented" by her own tense mood but nevertheless feels that the experience is "necessary" for her, as she is "on the point of understanding" some "overwhelming question" that is on her mind. Like many other characters in the novel, then, Natasha grapples internally with the meaning of life, constantly feeling, as Prince Andrei himself once did, that some revelation is just beyond her reach. The sense of tension conveyed in her thoughts and actions here reflects the mood of much of the novel.
Related Themes:
