All The King's Men

by Robert Penn Warren

All The King's Men: Mood 1 key example

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
Mood
Explanation and Analysis:

The mood of the novel begins with excitement and high energy, charting the meteoric beginning of Willie's political rise. Jack's non-linear narration amplifies this excitement: he leaps backward and forward in time in the first few chapters to build the legend of Willie Stark. The mood changes, though, when it becomes apparent that Willie has been put up as a fake candidate by the Democratic Party in order to split the vote.