Remediation Lesson Pt. 2

Remediation Lesson Pt. 2

Setting, Conflicts, Mood, and Tone

Why Do Setting, Mood, and Imagery Matter In Literature?

A good story is much more than the events that happen or the conflicts between characters. When and where a story takes place also affects your reading experience.

Consider, for example, a story about two lost hikers who are fighting for survival. It’s the setting details—the towering trees, the stark winter sky, and the approaching snowstorm—that make you care about the conflict.

By creating an unforgettable setting, a writer seizes your imagination and whisks you into the world of a story. 

Setting

You know that the setting of a story is the time and place in which the action occurs. The time could be a particular year, a specific season, a time of day, or a historical period. The place could be anywhere—from a bustling ancient city to a deserted tropical island.

In addition to describing the time and location of a story, setting is another literary element authors use to develop complex, believable characters. Setting details often reveal information about the characters’ lives, their occupations, their values, and their relationships. Setting may also play a more active role by creating conflicts for the characters or by influencing the decisions they make. 

Speaking of Conflict...What Kind of Conflicts Can I Find In Literature?

• External Conflicts: individual vs. individual, individual vs. nature, individual vs. society, individual vs. supernatural, and

  individual vs. technology

• Internal Conflicts: Individual vs. Self

Multiple Choice

What is conflict?

• the main character in a story

• where and when a story takes place

• the feeling or emotion created by a story

• a struggle or problem that needs to be solved

Multiple Choice

What is the main role of conflict in a story?

• It keeps the plot moving and evolving.

• It exposes the protagonist’s deepest secret.

• It’s the most difficult part of the story to write.

• It reveals the author’s opinion of the characters.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of internal conflict?

• Annika’s mom wasn’t able to come to her speech.

• Jenna and her sister fought over their parents’ car.

• Rojel finished his homework early, so he watched some TV.

• Lee couldn’t make up his mind whether or not to go to the party.

Imagery and Mood

To create a setting that stays with you long after a story ends, a writer paints pictures with words. With the right choice of details and the tone of the language, a writer can transport you to any scene and affect how you feel about a story.

Imagery

Imagery consists of vivid descriptions that recreate sensory experiences for readers. Rather than detailing every aspect of a setting, a writer may use sensory language—specific words and phrases that appeal to the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—to help you visualize a scene. 

Mood

A writer also uses imagery and setting details to create the mood, or atmosphere, of a story. Whether it is lighthearted, hopeful, or mysterious, a story’s mood can affect your emotional reaction to the characters and events. 

The writer or speaker's attitude toward the subject is called their tone.

It's Not WHAT You Say, It's HOW You Say It...

When you speak, your tone of voice can convey what you mean. For example, you could say, "What a funny joke. You must be a comedian." Depending on how you say it, you might mean that sarcastically or genuinely. It all depends on your tone. In the same way, the tone in a piece of writing is the author's attitude toward their subject. Authors won't just tell you their tone. You have to "listen" to find it by reading between the lines.

Multiple Choice

This house isn't perfect, but it's where my babies grew up. I know it all by heart. I know every stain on the carpet, every creaking floorboard and every paint chip on the windowsills. Each corner of this small space is filled with memories that I relive when I walk through the narrow hallways.

What words best describe the author's tone in the passage above?

• hopeless and afraid

• angry and violent

• sentimental and tender

• The author doesn't have a tone.

Connotation and Denotation

Word choice often gives you clues you can use to infer the author's tone. Words have denotations. That's their definition in the dictionary. They also have a connotation. That's their emotional meaning.

For example, a person who is interested in others can be described as "curious" or "nosy." "Curious" has a positive connotation. "Nosy" has a negative connotation. In the same way, a person who likes to take charge could be described as "bossy" or "a leader."

Multiple Choice

Some people might see my cat George soaking up a sunny spot in my living room or sleeping for 20 hours each day and think, "What a lazy cat!" But "lazy" is the wrong word for George. He is calm and wise. The other night, for example, there was a terrible storm with crashing thunder and bright flashes of lightning that lasted two hours. Another cat might have darted around the room, frantic and hyper, thumping into walls and diving off countertops. But George just woke up and quietly analyzed the situation, watching me for cues on how to react. I just kept cooking spaghetti and singing along to the radio. So George didn't waste any time; he went right back to sleep.

Which words from the passage have a positive connotation?

• "frantic" and "hyper"

• "calm" and "wise"

• "crashing" and "thumping"

• "sleeping" and "darted"

Watch Your Tone!!

Depending on what you're writing, you'll want to have a specific tone. If you were describing your favorite book to a friend, you might have an effusive tone. That means gushing and heartfelt. If you're writing a research paper, you'll want to keep your tone more objective. Textbooks tend to have a neutral tone, sticking to just the facts without showing the author's attitude toward the subject. Tone can be related to purpose. If you want to inform your reader, and not persuade her, an objective tone might be best.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following most likely has an objective tone?

• an encyclopedia entry

• a letter to a friend

• a movie review

• a political speech

Multiple Choice

In which of the following passages does repetition help establish a bitter tone?

• The brave girl beat the dangerous dragon, got through the dangerous jungle and survived the dangerous journey.

• There will be peace in our community, peace in our town, peace in our homes and peace on Earth.

• The spoiled child was not easily satisfied, he was not quick to laugh and he did not enjoy simple pleasures.

• My mom told me what happened and I cried until my tears filled up the car and I nearly drowned in them.

Multiple Choice

The school was dark and cold, and the hallways were empty. I walked by rows of blue-gray locker doors, dented and bent into strange shapes until I reached it: Room 209. It was here that I was a freshman in high school, new to the town and without a friend in the world. All those years ago, I had sat in a desk in this room, surrounded by strangers who could not pronounce my name and did not bother to ask me.

Which detail from the passage best creates a gloomy, lonely mood?

• "All those years ago, I had sat in a desk in this room..."

• "The school was dark and cold, and the hallways were empty."

• "It was here that I was a freshman in high school... "

• "I walked by rows of blue-gray locker doors..."

Poll

Based on today's lesson, do you feel more confident in identifying the setting, conflict, mood, and imagery in a literary text?

• I'm sure that I have this lesson in the bag!

• I'm feeling okay...would't hurt to get another lesson on it though.

• Bruh...what has this lesson even been on?