Setting and mood

​Setting and Mood

​What is mood?

All of us have moods. Your mood is your overall feeling at a certain time. Think about your mood right now. Overall, do you feel annoyed? worried? happy?

Multiple Choice

People often use adjectives, or describing words, to identify a mood.

Which adjective best describes this man's mood?

• delighted

• angry

• calm

Multiple Select

Which of the following examples shows a negative mood?

• It was noon, but dark clouds were rolling in. Suddenly, the wind turned cold.

• Peter shivered as lightning flashed across the black sky and thunder boomed.

• The sun soon broke through the clouds. Peter felt the warmth of its rays.

​Here's a more formal definition of mood: the feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader.

Multiple Choice

Stuart and his family sat glued to their seats in anxious anticipation. They could hardly believe that Anna had been chosen to be a contestant on a reality show! Anna had made it to the final elimination. Would she win? Stuart nervously tapped his foot. "Shhh, everybody!" his father urged. "The show's about to start." The room fell quiet as everyone eyed the TV.

Select the words that best describe the mood.

• scary and dangerous

• exciting and suspenseful

• comfortable and relaxed

• tense and angry

​Writers want to show certain moods in their stories. Often, they do so by carefully describing the setting. The setting refers to the time and place of the story's action.

Multiple Choice

Princess Rose lived in a magnificent castle high in the mountains. This morning, she and her father, the king, strolled through the sunny countryside and marveled at the beautiful landscape. The colorful flowers waved in the light breeze, and the birds chirped happily as father and daughter sauntered around the bend.

What mood does this description help to create?

• scary

• pleasant

• mysterious

• funny

​You've just looked at a castle in one setting. Here's a castle in another setting. Notice how the differences in the setting help to create a dramatically different mood.

Multiple Choice

Grida stumbled as he trudged wearily around the side of the gray mountain. The rain pounded him like thick, icy nails. As he looked up, the sight in front of him twisted his stomach into a knot. His heart pounded like a hammer in his chest: Dagon's castle!

Which words best describe the mood here?

• sad and angry

• happy and warm

• comfortable and cheerful

• spooky and forbidding

​Maria and Jan worked in the brightly lit room. Their model of the solar system sat majestically on the table. It was sure to win at the science fair!

​Jan's mother drove through the blinding rain. Hearing the rumbling thunder, she thought, "How can we keep that science project dry in this soaker?"

​When the setting changes, the mood can change. Words that describe the setting help create, or set, the mood. The mood in the first paragraph is happy. The mood in the second paragraph is gloomy.

​Not every detail in a passage contributes to the overall mood. As a reader, though, it's important to note all the setting details. Often, they work together to set a mood.

Multiple Choice

As he entered the apartment, Dwayne shook the snow from his coat. He realized that the apartment was dark. The sound of soft, smooth jazz music drifted soothingly to his ears from an old, beat-up stereo. What was going on?

Which detail creates a romantic mood?

• the snow on Dwayne's coat

• smooth jazz music

• an old, beat-up stereo

​Think about the settings described earlier—the lush landscape enjoyed by Princess Rose and the dreaded castle towering above Grida. The writers used imagery—words that appeal to your five senses—to make the settings seem life-like.

​The steady drip, drip, drip of the faucet almost hypnotized me. (hearing)

​The piercing odor of the onion made tears come to my eyes. (smell)

​Notice how imagery is used to help you more clearly imagine details of setting.

​Imagery helps create or set a mood. As you've seen, imagery also makes the setting more interesting and believable.

Multiple Choice

Dana and Chris entered the circus tent. They brushed the sawdust from their seats and sat down as other people came in. When the audience settled down and voices died down to a whisper, the clowns began their act. One by one, six neon-colored clowns climbed into the ring from a tiny, polka-dotted car. Each wore a flexible costume that ballooned out as he or she came into view. Each clown that emerged from the car was larger than the last. Everyone burst into laughter!

Which image creates a light-hearted mood?

• the feel of the sawdust

• the quiet audience

• the look of the clowns

​Summary

​

​Mood is the feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader.

​

The setting (time and place) of a story can help create a mood.​

​

Imagery—words that appeal to your sight, smell, taste, touch, or hearing—can also contribute to the mood of a story.​

Multiple Choice

The ship bobbed up and down, back and forth, in the stormy sea. Waves crashed over its sides again and again. Some crew members struggled to take down the sails, which flapped uncontrollably in the high wind. Others worked on deck, furiously bailing water over the side to keep the ship afloat.

The setting of this passage creates a mood of—

• peacefulness

• dreaminess

• anger

• wildness

Multiple Choice

Which example of imagery would help create a somber, or sad, mood?

• Paint peeled from the walls of the silent, empty playroom.

• The roses on the table filled the kitchen with a sweet smell.

• Cool, clear water bubbled up from the secret spring.

• A warm breeze blew along the sunny beach.

Multiple Choice

It was a new morning. Kathleen got out of bed and stretched as she walked to the window. She looked down at the young, green trees surrounding the garden below. The sun had just come up. The sky was blue, and the air was fresh. Kathleen said to herself, "On a day like this, I'm ready for anything!"

Which detail of the setting does NOT add to the cheerful mood of this passage?

• the new morning

• Kathleen's bed

• the young, green trees

• the blue sky and fresh air

Multiple Choice

The old house was creaking loudly that night. Shadows of tree branches stretched across the walls of Brandon's room like the fingers of an alien hand. He stared at them for a moment. Then, with a shudder, he hid his head under the covers.

Which word best captures the overall mood of this passage?

• humorous

• peaceful

• angry

• frightening

Multiple Choice

The bells in the old tower continued to echo through the rainy morning. Their ringing sounded like shouts of "Guilty!" to Leah."If only they would stop!" she thought wildly. She pressed her hands to her ears, trying to block out the sound. It seemed, however, that the bells were growing louder than ever! Leah suddenly screamed, "Someone help me—please!"

The mood of the selection is created through the image of—

• the look of the tower

• the feel of the rain

• the sound of the bells

• the feel of Leah's hands

Multiple Choice

Which of the following words best describes a creepy abandoned house?

• Sunny

• Cheerful

• Eerie

• Tranquil

Multiple Choice

What type of setting is often associated with peace and tranquility?

• Busy city street

• Crowded amusement park

• Quiet forest

• Noisy construction site

Multiple Choice

Which of the following words helps establish a gloomy mood?

• Joyful

• Sorrowful

• Vibrant

• Melancholic

Multiple Choice

What element is commonly used to create a mysterious setting?

• Bright lights

• Loud music

• Thick fog

• Colorful decorations

Multiple Choice

What is a characteristic of a creepy abandoned house?

• Well-maintained garden

• Warm and inviting atmosphere

• Broken windows and doors

• Freshly painted walls

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a peaceful natural setting?

• Busy city intersection

• Crowded shopping mall

• Serenity of a beach

• Noisy concert venue

Multiple Choice

What is a common feature of a gloomy mood?

• Laughter and joy

• Dark and somber atmosphere

• Vibrant colors

• Energetic music

Multiple Choice

What is often used to create a mysterious setting in literature?

• Detailed descriptions

• Simple and straightforward language

• Predictable plot

• Explicit explanations

Multiple Choice

What is a characteristic of a peaceful natural setting?

• Loud traffic noise

• Crowded streets

• Tranquil surroundings

• Bright neon lights

Multiple Choice

What is a common element in establishing a gloomy mood?

• Cheerful music

• Sunny weather

• Dim lighting

• Colorful decorations

Multiple Choice

How do you know what the setting of a story is? Sometimes, a narrator will tell you where and when the story occurs right away. Often, though, you’ll have to look for clues to determine the setting. Try to find words or phrases that tell you what it looks like or sounds like where the characters are. Characters can also give clues about the setting. Be sure that your inferences about the setting are backed up by evidence from the text.

Read the following passage:
As Maribelle hurried down the street, the wind swept the snow along the sidewalk and hid her footsteps, so that it looked as if no one had passed. Above her, the cold, silent skyscrapers of the city loomed. The whole block was eerily silent in the snowstorm, and she pulled her coat tightly around her. Maribelle had only moved here a few months before. She came because she wanted to be a singer. But right now, she was frightened.

Which detail from the passage indicate the setting?

• “Above her, the cold, silent skyscrapers of the city loomed.”
  
• “Maribelle had only moved here a few months before.”
  
• “But right now, she was frightened.”
• “She came because she wanted to be a singer.”
  

Multiple Choice

Setting tells you where and when a story occurs. Setting includes two things: time and place. Time includes the time period. It can also include elapsed time, or how much time passes for the characters. The place is where a story happens, including details about what that space looks, sounds or smells like or what it is like to live there.

Read the following passage from Alice in Wonderland: 

Once in the wood, she was anxious to get back to her right size again, and then to get into that lovely garden. But how? Peeping over a mushroom, she beheld a large blue caterpillar sitting on the top with its arms folded...

Which detail from the text provides a clue to the place where this passage takes place?

• “Once in the wood…"
• “A large blue caterpillar..”
• “...get back to her right size again...”
• “...with its arms folded”

Multiple Choice

Setting can symbolize, or stand for, other elements of a story. For example, when setting changes, a character might change. Setting can also symbolize what a character is feeling in a particular scene. Setting can also help us understand the choices that characters make.

Read the following passage:
Gilberto had been excited to go to the beach but when he got there and saw how crowded it was, he became annoyed. The sun twinkled in the sky, a warm yellow globe. The sound of the ocean drummed in his ears and the sand itched his ankles and feet. Beside him, his sister slurped loudly on an ice cream cone. “Could you not?” Gilberto asked.

Which detail about the setting tells us that Gilberto is annoyed?

• “The sound of the ocean drummed in his ears and the sand itched his ankles and feet.”
• “The sun twinkled in the sky, a warm yellow globe.”
• “Beside him, his sister slurped loudly on an ice cream cone.”
  
• “Gilberto had been excited to go to the beach...”
  

Multiple Choice

Setting can also affect the plot, or the events that make up the story or novel. Some plots can take place only in certain times and places.

Which option describes a plot that can only take place in a specific setting?

• A selfish child tries to be a better person.
• A young woman falls in love with her family’s enemy.
• A ship’s captain chases a whale across the sea.
  
• A poor, hardworking woman becomes a successful chef.
  

Multiple Choice

In addition to plot and character, setting can shape the mood of a story. A story’s mood is its general atmosphere or overall feeling. The mood of a story can be energetic, nervous, peaceful or many other feeling words.

Which of the following settings suggest a tense and nervous mood?

• A city playground full of laughing, playing children and parents.
• A long line of people waiting for a few concert tickets.
• A stream running through a quiet, isolated forest.
• An empty mall parking lot early on a Sunday morning.

Multiple Choice

Setting can often be connected to theme. A theme is a universal message of a story or novel. Themes are about big topics, like exploration, freedom, love and loss. Themes can include morals or lessons. So how is setting connected to theme? Certain times and places lead to explorations of certain big topics. If a novel is set during a war, for example, it might have themes about freedom and loyalty.

Which option is the most likely setting for a story with the theme “humans vs nature?”

• A nursing home
• A middle school
• A forest
• A lawyer’s office

Multiple Choice

Which description of a setting would best create a mood of loneliness for a story?

• "The sun was bright, and the breeze was warm in the park. In the distance, there was the pleasant noise of children laughing."

• "At the amusement park, the ticket counter hadn't opened yet. It was still too early. But the warm smell of hot dogs and pretzels was already filling the air with the promise of fun."

• "The restaurant was packed. The waitress balanced three dishes on her arm and moved carefully around the large, round tables. Everyone's plates were full."

• "The sky was gray that cool November afternoon in the empty playground. The swings were rusted. The wood was rotted. There was silence except for the wind blowing through the dead leaves."

Multiple Choice

If that passage below were set at Lena's birthday party, what could you infer?

Lena laughed loudly. "I can't believe you did that!" she said, smiling.

• Lena might have received an unexpected present.

• Lena might be mad at her best friend.

• Lena might be a very selfish character.

• Lena might be talking to her uncle.

Multiple Choice

In the passage below, what can you infer about Randolph using clues from the setting?

One summer day, Randolph the Bright slept alone in his room in the castle at Reddington. The light of the morning seeped slowly through his curtains. Randolph blinked against the day, smiling as his dream came to a peaceful conclusion.

• Randolph is a mean person.

• Randolph has an older sister.

• Randolph is a prince or king.

• The setting doesn't give me any clues about Randolph.

Multiple Choice

Why is the setting important in a story?

• Because my teacher said it was important

• It tells us the ending.

• It helps us visualize what the land and characters look like in a story.

Multiple Choice

Setting is defined as the _______and _______ of the story.

• tone and place

• tone and plot

• time and place

• time and plot