The mood of “A Little Cloud” moves back and forth between exciting and depressing. This is true on a broad level: Little Chandler goes on a journey from resignation about his dull life, to a sense of possibility (after meeting up with Gallaher), to an even deeper sense of resignation and depression (calling his life a “prison” at the end). But it's also true in smaller moments within the story. Take the following passage, for example, which comes during Little Chandler’s dinner with Gallaher:
He was beginning to feel somewhat disillusioned. Gallaher’s accent and way of expressing himself did not please him. There was something vulgar in his friend which he had not observed before. But perhaps it was only the result of living in London amid the bustle and competition of the Press. The old personal charm was still there under this new gaudy manner. And, after all, Gallaher had lived, he had seen the world. Little Chandler looked at his friend enviously.
At the start of this passage, the mood is a depressing one—Little Chandler is “disillusioned,” no longer feeling inspired by his conversation with Gallaher and finding his friend to be “vulgar” in a way that “did not please him.” Then the mood abruptly shifts, as Little Chandler convinces himself that he’s probably judging Gallaher too harshly and that “the old personal charm was still there” after all. The passage ends with him feeling “envious” once again, indicating that his friend is back to inspiring him to want a more exciting life.
These shifts in mood throughout the story communicate how dissatisfied Little Chandler is with his life, and how desperate he is for something new. That the story ends with Little Chandler feeling resigned is a somewhat bleak conclusion, but, also, readers know how quickly he can change his mind, and they are therefore left with a bit of hope.
