The Portrait of a Lady

by Henry James

The Portrait of a Lady: 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 4
Explanation and Analysis:

As a coming-of-age novel, the mood of The Portrait of a Lady shifts drastically as Isabel moves from a naïve and innocent young woman to a jaded and beleaguered adult. The mood at the start of the novel is an energetic and excited one, as shown in the following passage:

She carried within herself a great fund of life, and her deepest enjoyment was to feel the continuity between the movements of her own soul and the agitations of the world. For this reason she was fond of seeing great crowds and large stretches of country, of reading about revolutions and wars, of looking at historical pictures.

Chapter 55
Explanation and Analysis:

As a coming-of-age novel, the mood of The Portrait of a Lady shifts drastically as Isabel moves from a naïve and innocent young woman to a jaded and beleaguered adult. The mood at the start of the novel is an energetic and excited one, as shown in the following passage:

She carried within herself a great fund of life, and her deepest enjoyment was to feel the continuity between the movements of her own soul and the agitations of the world. For this reason she was fond of seeing great crowds and large stretches of country, of reading about revolutions and wars, of looking at historical pictures.

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