Mood and Author's Craft

"It felt strange to take a bath like this—the house so quiet, no sound from the street, alone except for a nosy orange cat. I usually bathed once a month, or for special occasions. I stuck my leg up in the air and rubbed it with soap. This felt like a special occasion. The water soon turned brown with weeks of dirt and sweat. I held my breath and dunked my head under the water. I scrubbed my hair with soap and dunked again, over and over until my hair was free of blood and filth. I rubbed the soap on a rag and scrubbed my skin until it burned. When even the soles of my feet were clean, I dried myself by the kitchen fire. My skin crawled at the thought of putting on my dirty clothes again (Anderson 131)."

Which best describes the mood of this passage?

• frustrated

• relaxed

• determined

"It felt strange to take a bath like this—the house so quiet, no sound from the street, alone except for a nosy orange cat. I usually bathed once a month, or for special occasions. I stuck my leg up in the air and rubbed it with soap. This felt like a special occasion. The water soon turned brown with weeks of dirt and sweat. I held my breath and dunked my head under the water. I scrubbed my hair with soap and dunked again, over and over until my hair was free of blood and filth. I rubbed the soap on a rag and scrubbed my skin until it burned. When even the soles of my feet were clean, I dried myself by the kitchen fire. My skin crawled at the thought of putting on my dirty clothes again (Anderson 131)."

What type of author's craft is used to convey the mood of this passage?

• imagery

• alliteration

• personification

• short sentences

"The bolt slid back. I pushed down the latch and opened the door. I crossed the porch in two steps and ran across the warm earth toward the gate. My foot came down hard on a sharp rock. I cried out, but kept running. The gate was only a few more steps. Faster! Faster! Two bony hands curled around my shoulders like the claws of a panther and yanked me backward. I hit the ground so hard it knocked the breath out of me. The tall man picked me up and carried me back into the house, where the short man was finishing his search through the chest of drawers" (Anderson 142).

Which best describes the mood of this passage?

• frightening

• playful

• disappointing

In the previous passage from page 142, the author used a simile to help the reader imagine the scene by making a comparison. Which of the following sentences includes the simile?

• I crossed the porch in two steps and ran across the warm earth toward the gate.

• My foot came down hard on a sharp rock.

• Two bony hands curled around my shoulders like the claws of a panther and yanked me backward.

• The tall man picked me up and carried me back into the house, where the short man was finishing his search through the chest of drawers.

"Rats. Shiny, slippery rats, fat and fast, poured in and out of the basket, twitching their noses and flicking their tails. I had never seen rats so far away from the river. Where were the dogs, the cats that kept them away? And what would I do now? How was I going to eat? A chest of gold wouldn’t buy any food here today. A coughing fit overtook me and I felt faint. I stumbled into Mrs. Epler’s stall and sat in the stray white feathers that littered the ground. Now what?" (Anderson 156).

Which best describes the mood of this passage?

• annoyed

• welcoming

• hopeless

"Rats. Shiny, slippery rats, fat and fast, poured in and out of the basket, twitching their noses and flicking their tails. I had never seen rats so far away from the river. Where were the dogs, the cats that kept them away? And what would I do now? How was I going to eat? A chest of gold wouldn’t buy any food here today. A coughing fit overtook me and I felt faint. I stumbled into Mrs. Epler’s stall and sat in the stray white feathers that littered the ground. Now what?" (Anderson 156).

Which of the following author's craft strategies was NOT used in this passage?

• questions

• simile

• repetition

"Matilda Cook, it is time for the truth. You stay right there on that chair until you tell me what happened—everything.” I never could keep anything from Eliza. The story slid out with all the details: being abandoned on the road, struggling to care for Grandfather, getting the fever. The garden. The intruders. Grandfather’s death. Talking about him brought back the tears" (Anderson 174).

Which best describes the mood of this passage?

• overwhelming

• nervous

• joyous

"Matilda Cook, it is time for the truth. You stay right there on that chair until you tell me what happened—everything.” I never could keep anything from Eliza. The story slid out with all the details: being abandoned on the road, struggling to care for Grandfather, getting the fever. The garden. The intruders. Grandfather’s death. Talking about him brought back the tears" (Anderson 174).

What type of author's craft is used to convey the mood of this passage?

• simile

• short sentences

• imagery