Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed

by Ray Bradbury

Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed: 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 “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” shifts from tense to peaceful over the course of the story. The story opens with the Bittering family arriving on Mars and taking in the foreign landscape. Harry Bittering—the father and protagonist—is anxious about adapting to his new environment, especially as strange changes start to take place, such as their cow sprouting a third horn and their grass turning purple. The story’s tense mood hits a peak when the family find out via a news rocket that an atomic bomb has hit New York, destroying all of the rockets in the process, stranding the Bitterings and their fellow passengers on Mars.