In every way possible, “The Daughters of the Late Colonel” is a story about control and dependence: this is never more evident than in its carefully constructed mood. Mansfield guides the reader through the Pinner sisters’ grief and guilty self-reflection, demonstrating their mixed emotions about the freedom the Colonel’s death suddenly grants them.
Initially, the mood is apprehensive and somber, as the two women are deeply mired in their mourning and the house is stiflingly closed-off. The oppressive influence of the Colonel's legacy casts a long shadow over the sisters; the mood is heavy as the reader experiences their worries about finances and about the future. Without their father, Jug and Con are unsure about how to proceed in any aspect of their day. Even though he's gone, they feel his watchful presence around every corner, judging their choices. The reader gets a strong feeling of experiencing loss while also feeling lost themselves.
As Mansfield's narrative unfolds, further elements of dark humor start to show up. This is typical of the author’s writing, and it points to the absurdity of Jug and Con's situation. The reader is made aware of the incongruities of their lives, and the almost childish state they've been mentally forced into. This humor is not just a reprieve from the gravity of their situation. It’s also a lens through which the reader can see the extent to which Jug and Con participate in their own entrapment by societal norms and their father’s rigid doctrines.
Towards the end, the mood tentatively brightens, hinting at a possibility of freedom from their imprisonment by the aggressive, unpleasant Colonel. The sisters begin to notice the outside world and to allow themselves to enjoy moments of music and sunlight. However, the predominant mood remains solemn, almost as if the reader should feel a sense of guilt along with each moment of happiness. Jug and Con are traumatized by a past of horrible parenting and constricted by societal and familial expectations, which the reader is constantly reminded of through flashbacks and other time jumps. At the end of the story, Mansfield leaves the reader in an unsure state of mind, feeling dissatisfied and irritated. There’s a sense that things might get better, provided the sisters can free themselves from the ghost of their father as well as from his real presence. However, that seems quite unlikely given their previous choices.
