The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit: 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
Chapter 7: Queer Lodgings
Explanation and Analysis:

The mood of the novel shifts as Bilbo gets into and out of dangerous situations. Tolkien often uses imagery and other environmental details either to build a sense of dread and despair or to put the reader at ease. For example, in Chapter 7, the adventurers are intimidated by their environment as they arrive at Mirkwood:

The land began to slope up and up, and it seemed to the hobbit that a silence began to draw in upon them. Birds began to sing less. There were no more deer; not even rabbits were to be seen. By the afternoon they had reached the eaves of Mirkwood, and were resting almost beneath the great overhanging boughs of its outer trees. Their trunks were huge and gnarled, their branches twisted, their leaves were dark and long. Ivy grew on them and trailed along the ground.