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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
Chapter 23
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of the novel is dark and pessimistic, inviting little hope from the reader for the characters. At the same time, Wallace uses absurdity and over-the-top descriptions that invite laughter even (and especially) at the most disturbing moments. One example occurs in Chapter 46, when the narrator describes a junior tennis player's suicide that reportedly snowballed into a mass-casualty event for the family:
...[S]ince all six kids had gone through a four-hour Rotary-sponsored CPR course at Fresno’s YMCA, by the end of the night the whole family’s lying there blue-hued and stiff as posts, with incrementally tinier amounts of lethal Quik smeared around their rictus-grimaced mouths; and in sum this whole instance of unprepared-goal-attaintment-trauma is unbelievably gruesome and sad, and it’s one historical reason why all accredited tennis academies have to have a Ph.D.-level counselor on full-time staff, to screen student athletes for their possibly lethal reactions to ever actually reaching the level they’ve been pointed at for years.
Related Themes:
Chapter 46
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of the novel is dark and pessimistic, inviting little hope from the reader for the characters. At the same time, Wallace uses absurdity and over-the-top descriptions that invite laughter even (and especially) at the most disturbing moments. One example occurs in Chapter 46, when the narrator describes a junior tennis player's suicide that reportedly snowballed into a mass-casualty event for the family:
Unlock with LitCharts A+...[S]ince all six kids had gone through a four-hour Rotary-sponsored CPR course at Fresno’s YMCA, by the end of the night the whole family’s lying there blue-hued and stiff as posts, with incrementally tinier amounts of lethal Quik smeared around their rictus-grimaced mouths; and in sum this whole instance of unprepared-goal-attaintment-trauma is unbelievably gruesome and sad, and it’s one historical reason why all accredited tennis academies have to have a Ph.D.-level counselor on full-time staff, to screen student athletes for their possibly lethal reactions to ever actually reaching the level they’ve been pointed at for years.
Related Themes:
