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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
Book 1, Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of Hard Times is melancholic. In line with both the conventions of Realism, and much of Dickens’s work after David Copperfield, Hard Times does not operate under any illusions about the difficulties faced by its characters and the unlikelihood that they will fully surmount them.
The lack of neat resolution in the novel lends the work a realistic complexity. When Louisa finally unpacks the effects of utilitarianism on her life and personal development in Book 2, Chapter, 12, she confronts her father:
“Yet, father, if I had been stone blind; if I had groped my way by my sense of touch, and had been free [...] to exercise my fancy somewhat, in regard to them; I should have been a million times wiser, happier, more loving [...] and more human in all good respects, than I am with the eyes I have.”
Related Themes:
Book 2, Chapter 12
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of Hard Times is melancholic. In line with both the conventions of Realism, and much of Dickens’s work after David Copperfield, Hard Times does not operate under any illusions about the difficulties faced by its characters and the unlikelihood that they will fully surmount them.
The lack of neat resolution in the novel lends the work a realistic complexity. When Louisa finally unpacks the effects of utilitarianism on her life and personal development in Book 2, Chapter, 12, she confronts her father:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“Yet, father, if I had been stone blind; if I had groped my way by my sense of touch, and had been free [...] to exercise my fancy somewhat, in regard to them; I should have been a million times wiser, happier, more loving [...] and more human in all good respects, than I am with the eyes I have.”
Related Themes:
