Wise Blood: Mood 1 key example

The main characters, Hazel and Enoch, are both isolated and unbalanced in their own separate ways. Because most of the novel's events revolves around the two of them, the mood generally feels sinister. Additionally, O'Connor's use of foreshadowing makes the reader sure that something bad will happen toward the end of the novel. Hazel's fanatic anger and Enoch's deference to his dangerous "wise blood" combine to give the reader ominious expectations. In addition to the events of the novel, O'Connor's language use also contributes to the menacing mood. Quite a bit of her imagery, metaphors, and similes produce their own apprehension. An example of this is when the narrator describes Hazel's face in the following way: "his face had a fragile look as if it might have been broken and stuck together again, or like a gun no one knows is loaded."

At the same time, the novel contains a fair share of funny moments. Although many of the characters seem unwell and bitter, they still say funny things that break up some of their own seriousness. In a few instances, for example, passersby refuse to be dragged into Hazel's darkness and comment on his fanatic demeanor. Just after Hazel buys his car in the fourth chapter, he asks a truck driver for the way to the zoo, and the driver asks “Did you exscape from there?” Even if there's something unsettling about him, Enoch also provides quite a bit of comic relief. When he takes Hazel to see his mystery, he pronounces museum as “Muvseevum" because of its Roman spelling.

These lighter moments give the reader relief from the otherwise heavy mood. In a certain way, though, the contrast also adds to the heaviness, as the source of the humor is part and parcel with what makes the novel feel so sinister. While the reader may find these moments funny, the tense characters rarely seem to experience pleasure or fun.