The Good Soldier takes readers through a nuanced, often ugly, and sometimes jarring journey of moods. As the narrator’s voice is the only guide the reader has for how to feel, John Dowell’s feelings and responses steer the mood significantly. Initially, the fragmented narrative creates a sense of disorientation. Readers are thrown into the complex dynamics of the relationships between John Dowell, his wife Florence, and the Ashburnhams without clear guidance. This fragmented storytelling reflects the chaotic nature of the characters' lives, particularly in how John navigates his understanding of his wife's infidelity and Edward Ashburnham's complex moral justifications for his infidelities.
As the story unfolds and secrets are gradually revealed, the mood becomes tense and suspicious. The narrative is packed with foreshadowing, which is particularly clear in the unfolding of Florence's affair with Edward and the tragic consequences that follow it. The reader is left in a state of anticipation, unsure where their sympathies should lie.
Throughout the novel there’s a consistent mood of frustration, which stems from the miscommunications and unethical behavior among the characters. Critical moments, such as the beginning of Edward's manipulative relationship with Nancy and the suffocating social codes that prevent open discussion and resolution of issues, contribute to this frustration. There’s a sense of anticipation that something will break the tension, but until the end of the novel almost nothing does.
The novel concludes with a mood of resignation, which feels somewhat anticlimactic after everything that came before it. After the suicides and the affairs and the misery, the narrative does not provide a conventional resolution. Rather, Ford leaves the reader and the characters to come to terms with the new state of affairs in a vacuum. John’s narration in the end feels stilted and cold, reminding readers of the selective way that information has been dispensed to them and how much of the story still remains untold.
