Tone, Mood, Theme, and Motif, Assignments of Literature

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Tone, Mood,

Theme, and

Motif

“Boy, watch your tone when

speaking to me”

 Tone: The writer’s attitude towards the subject of the piece, the audience, and self. Also known as, the way feelings are expressed.  Conveyed through the use of:  Diction (the words that the author uses in his/her writing)  Point of View (the author’s view and how it affects his/her writing)  Syntax (the arrangement of words to create sentences)  And, the author’s level of formality (how formal or informal is the piece?)

Important Tone Words

 Accusatory: charging of wrong doing  Bitter: exhibiting strong animosity as a result of pain or grief  Critical: finding fault  Earnest: intense, a sincere state of mind  Intimate: very familiar  Matter-of-fact: accepting of conditions; not fanciful or emotional  Optimistic: hopeful, cheerful  Reverent: treating a subject with honor and respect  Reflective: illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions  Sarcastic: sneering, caustic  Sincere: without deceit or pretense; genuine  Solemn: deeply earnest, tending toward sad reflection

“Girl, you’re in a mood!”

 Mood: emotion evoked by a text.

 Writers use many devices to create the

mood in a text:

 Dialogue (language between the characters)

 Setting (where/when the story takes place, who the characters are, etc.)

 Plot (the rise and fall of action and events throughout the piece)

BEWARE!!

 Tone and mood can very easily be confused!  Tone simply refers to how the author/the author’s characters feel towards the subject, or towards something. You will know what the author’s tone is implying by the words he uses.

 While ‘mood’, refers to the feeling of the atmosphere the author is describing. It is what the author makes you feel when you read his writings. You can read a sentence, and feel sad, happy or angry.

Examples of Tone

 I’d rather stay here and wait, than go into that dark room.  What is the author telling you about how the character feels?

 I could feel a headache beginning as a One Direction song came on the radio.

 I called my friend at their house, her brother said she’s not home , but I heard her voice in the background.

What is the definition of theme

in literature?

 Theme is the main idea or message about mankind or life conveyed by a piece of literary work.  A theme should be expressed by a complete sentence , not one word.  Not every piece of literature has a theme.  A theme can be the “moral” of a story, or lesson, but it does not have to be.

How does the reader identify

the theme?

 May be stated clearly in the story or

implied through the story’s plot.

 Might be presented by the actions,

thoughts and feelings of the main

characters.

 Can be deep or difficult to understand.

 The reader may slowly come to realize the

theme of a story as she processes the text

and reads the story in its entirety, all the

way through to the end.

How does the reader identify

a motif?

 Motifs may be more obvious than themes,

because they are repeated throughout

the novel

 A symbol is often a form of motif, an

object that is repeated throughout a

novel that represent more than their

obvious meaning

 Example: Mirrors and Trees in Speak , both symbolize the motif of identity