Name _____________________________

Setting the Mood

 Mood = emotional atmosphere created for the audience of a text

Setting = description of the time and place of a story

 When we read “Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver (the baby story), we paid particular attention to the first paragraph which did two important things:  it presented us with information on the setting and it also “set the mood” of the story.

 The setting of a story, in fact, is very instrumental in helping an author set up the mood of his/her story simply because it usually involves so much description.  Read the following setting description from Warriors Don’t Cry and then answer the questions below:

             Mother and I moved through the streets in silence, listening to the radio newsman’s descriptions of the crowds gathering at Central High.  I noticed some of our neighbors standing on the sidewalk, many more than were usually out this time of day.

            “That’s strange,” Mama mumbled as she waved to people who didn’t bother waving back.  “No matter, maybe they didn’t see me.”  Our neighbors had always been so friendly, but now they peered at us without their usual smiles.  Then I saw Kathy and Ronda, two of my school friends, standing with their mothers.  Anxious to catch their attention, I waved out the window with a loud, “Hi.”  Their disapproving glances matched those of the adults.

            “I didn’t do anything to them,” I said, not understanding their reason.

            “Then you don’t have anything to be concerned about.”  Mother Lois maneuvered through the unusually heavy traffic.  “I don’t know where all the cars could have come from,” she said.  We both craned our necks, curious about all the unfamiliar cars and people.  Certainly there had never before been so many white people driving down the streets of our quiet, tree-lined neighborhood…

1. Keeping the WHOLE passage in mind, decide what the ONE best word is to describe the mood of this setting.  You might want to use the list of sample mood words above and a green dictionary from the back cabinet to make up your mind.  ________________________________________
2. What words/phrases in the passage help create that mood?  Choose at least 5 words/phrases (not whole sentences) from throughout the passage and list them here: ________________________

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3. Choose ONE of the words/phrases you listed above.  Explain HOW that word/phrase helps create the mood of the passage.  Write in complete sentences.  _________________________________

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4. On the back of this paper, write a sample setting paragraph of your own (minimum of 5 complete sentences).  Pick a REALISTIC location, perhaps someplace you visit everyday.  Describe this place/time in detail so your audience can picture it.  Also use vivid descriptions (adjectives and similes; might want to use your color list for ideas) to convey one particular mood.  At the end of your paragraph, write the mood you were trying to create.