TONE AND MOOD IN A READING PASSAGE | LITERATURE
Understanding a text or reading a whole concept is useless without knowing the emotions and feelings of the story. Tone and mood play a big role in the comprehension of the readers. Through this, they can have a hint or closer look at what the theme is all about.
Why is it important to know the tone and mood of a reading passage?
The attitude of the author toward the subject reflects on his/ her chosen words. It can clearly identify if the author wants his/ her readers to feel sad, happy, angry, or frustrated while reading the scenes in the story. Above all, the writer is responsible for exerting time and effort when it comes to emphasizing or dealing with the feelings and emotions of the story. It should be visible in the words in the narration or even the dialogue of the characters. It should create different kinds of emotions. This is what we called tone.
Example: “He left me with no words. He shattered my heart into pieces. I just spent most of the time crying.”
In the given dialogue, we can say that the character in the text was in pain and hurt based on how the author described the scenario through his/ her words.
After reflecting on the tone of the author, the mood follows. The mood is the feeling or emotions you get while reading the story. It is usually your initial reaction or response to the story. In this case, you will have your side comments, opinions, or assumptions on what will happen next. The emotions may vary based on the perception and point of view of readers.
Based on the example above, you will pity the girl being left behind. You will also feel her pain and grief as if you are in the character’s position. It is also possible that you may feel hatred and anger toward the boy who left her. And that’s how you come up with or assume the possibilities in the story.
