Mood & Tone

Mood is how the story makes the reader feel (sentimental, anxious, frightened,
sad, silly, happy, etc.)

Tone is the author’s attitude toward his/her subject and reflects the author’s
purpose; if the author’s purpose is to entertain, the tone may be playful. If his/her
purpose is to inform, the tone may be serious.

The mood emphasizes the reader whereas the tone emphasizes the author’s attitude.
To help you remember the difference, think about the way we use these words in real
life.
• “I think I will play some romantic music tonight to help set the mood for our
date.”
o Here, “setting the mood” is meant to make the other person feel
loving and affectionate.
• “Don’t use that tone of voice with me young man!”
o “That tone” indicates the speaker had an attitude he was projecting
along with the words he used.

Editorial cartoons, Saturday Night Live, and all

other forms of satire offer great examples of
tone, or an author’s attitude toward his/her
subject. In this cartoon, what issue is cartoonist
Patrick Corrigan addressing? What is his tone,
or attitude, toward this issue?

How does this picture from Quarantine make you

feel? Why? Imagine this image described only in
words. How might those words convey the mood?
Which medium, pictures or words, most easily
evokes mood? How does the setting convey mood?
Dialogue? Imagery? Details?