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Tone, Mood, Theme, and Motif “Boy, Watch Your Tone When Speaking to Me”

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Tone, Mood, Theme, and Motif “Boy, Watch Your Tone When Speaking to Me” 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?) “Don’t you use that tone of voice with me!” • Has anyone ever said to you, "Don't use that tone of voice with me?" Your tone can change the meaning of what you say. • Tone can turn a statement like, " You're a big help!" into a genuine compliment or a cruel sarcastic remark. It depends on the context of the story. 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) Important Mood Words The following are examples of moods that a text can cause the reader to feel: Suspense Lonely Happy Angry Anxious Tense Suspicious Excited Depressed Scared Disgusted 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. Examples of Mood The night was dark and stormy. What feeling does that give you? The man kicked and threw the poor cat out of his house. There was plenty of food, and the music was playing. Everybody was having a good time. 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. What is Motif in a piece of literature? Motif is a recurring object, concept, or structure in a piece of literature. Unlike a theme, a motif can be expressed in a single word or fragment. 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 .
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