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Metaphors
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 tragicomedy of Cat’s Cradle challenges the reader to laugh and cry at once. Vonnegut deploys a dry, subtly sarcastic humor across dialogue, characters, and narration to poke fun at post-WWII America. The work introduces its audience to all manner of strange people and circumstances. A phallus-shaped tombstone commemorates the burial place of Dr. Hoenikker’s potentially adulterous wife. His son, Newt, is a “midget,” while the other tortures bugs. Meanwhile, other characters like Julian Castle bulldoze dead bodies and the Crosbys chauvinistically swear by American democracy, Hoosiers, and Christianity. The novel’s characters are pathetically ignorant or disturbingly stunted.
Related Themes:
