Transcript Tone and Mood - Summitview School

Tone is the AUTHOR’S attitude
towards the audience, the
subject, or the character
You can recognize the
tone/attitude by the
language/word choices the author
uses. His language will reveal his
perspective/opinion (that is,
whether it is positive/negative)
about the subject.
Written Tone
Verbal tone is easier to detect
Teacher
Student
Big Brother
Little Brother
Written Tone can be more
difficult. When in doubt, readers
must examine the context of the
story itself.
Tone must be inferred through the
use of descriptive words.
DESCRIBING TONE
Adjectives are used to describe
tone
Have a healthy “tone vocabulary”
Consider some words that
describe tone.
Sarcastic, sincere, embarrassed,
proud or frightened
The key to choosing the correct
tone is to carefully consider the
author’s word choice.
TONE
In the short story “The Ransom of
Red Chief” by O. Henry, two men
attempt to kidnap a wealthy man’s
son for a ransom. However, the
boy is a troublemaker and they
can’t wait to get rid of him. The
boy’s father sends this note to the
men in response to their ransom
demand:
Gentlemen: I received your letter today by post,
in regard to the ransom you ask for the return
of my son. I think you are a little high in your
demands, and I hereby make you a counter
proposition, which I am inclined to believe you
will accept. You bring Johnny home and pay
me two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, I
agree to take him off your hands. You had
better come at night, for the neighbors believe
he is lost, and I couldn’t be responsible for
what they would do to anyone they saw
bringing him back.
Very respectfully,
EBENEZER DORSET
TONE
Which adjectives best describe the
tone of his note?
Tone:
Evidence:
The girls were playing in the pond, splashing
each other and trying to catch fish with their
hands. They were having fun, but kept looking
over their shoulders at the looming forest. The
long grass of the field kept moving and they sort
of felt like they were being watched… About a
half hour passed and still the girls kept checking
the field for movements. It seemed like a pair of
dark eyes was on them. They even considered
going back inside, but that would mean
homework time. So they continued splashing,
but with caution now. Their eyes hardly left the
field.
Tone:
Evidence:
Finally, one of the girls pointed
to the grass and giggled. "Meow!"
A cat sat on the edge of the
field and licked its paw. They did
indeed have company. The girls
ran over to the cat and pet his
belly. They laughed and the cat
sauntered back to the field.
What is the tone of this paragraph?
TONE
As I approached the lake, I couldn’t
believe my eyes…
Fearful
Serious
Sad
Playful
Tender
Timid
Jealousy
Mysterious
Suspenseful
Gloomy
Excitement
Nonchalant
Angry
Hateful
Pride
Bored
Humorous
Gory
Optimistic
Tone: “A Gift in His Shoes”
Donovan and Larry were early for
baseball practice. They decided to run
up and down the bleachers to exercise
before the rest of the team arrived.
Larry was first to the top. He
whispered to Donovan, “Look over
there.” He pointed to a man sleeping on
the highest, narrow bench of the
bleachers. His pants and shirt were
faded, worn, and too large for his thin
frame. One big toe stuck out of a huge
hole in his sock. His scraped-up shoes
sat a few feet away.
Donovan whispered, “We should
help him out. Let’s hide something
good in his shoes. Then, when he
wakes up, he will have a nice surprise.”
How would you describe the tone
[attitude] of this author?
a. Angry
b. Detached
c. Sympathetic
Evidence:
Tone: Where Can They Stay?
About three million people have to look for
a place to sleep at night. Some homeless
people have jobs but do not earn nearly
enough money for both food and shelter.
Some become homeless because they have
an unfortunate accident or lose their job.
They do not have any back-up resources to
make it through the hard times.
The homeless face terrible problems.
Many become victims of violence. Serious
health problems may begin because they are
exposed to bad weather and unclean
conditions. Homeless children may miss the
chance to go to school. Worst of all, some
cities pass laws that make it even harder on
the homeless.
How would you describe the tone
[attitude] of this author?
a. Disgruntled
b. Nonchalant
c. Serious
Evidence:
Mood is the feeling the
reader gets from a story
The mood is created by the
setting, the characters, and
their actions
DESCRIBING MOOD
Adjectives describe Mood
Remember that you are NOT
describing the way the person feels
Like tone, mood words can be either
positive or negative
Examples: relaxed, cozy, romantic,
gloomy, frightening, somber
Mood
Identifying the mood of a piece of
writing will depend on the number of
descriptive words you know to answer
the question: How did this paragraph,
this passage, this story make the
character or make you feel?
What is the mood of this picture?
Mood: Example
During the holidays, my mother's house
glittered with decorations and hummed with
preparations. We ate cookies and drank cider
while we helped her wrap bright packages and
trim the tree. We felt warm and excited, listening
to Christmas carols and even singing along
sometimes. We would tease each other about
our terrible voices and then sing even louder.
Mood:
Evidence:
Mood: Example
After New Year's the time came to put
all the decorations away and settle
in for the long, cold winter. The
house seemed to sigh as we boxed
up its finery. The tree was dry and
brittle, and now waited forlornly by
the side of the road to be picked up.
Mood:
Evidence:
While watching the stars on a warm, clear
night I saw something that forever changed
my life…
Furious
Cheerful
Disappointed
Relieved
Idyllic
Gloomy
Content
Bleak
Satisfied
Uncertain
Enraged
Bittersweet
Motivated
Relaxed
Inspired
Indolent
Confident
Hopeless
Eerie
Tense
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
TONE AND MOOD
Tone = Dialogue + Perspective
Mood = Setting + Characters
TONE IS NOT MOOD
Tone
The tone could
be serious but
the mood could
be ridiculous.
Mood
TONE
FOR EXAMPLE:
He approached the task with sheer
determination. He had studied his plans
carefully, spent hours preparing and was sure
of his approach. The hours he spent practicing
were grueling and exhausting but he was
ready. This was the year he would win the pie
eating contest at school.
According to the author’s descriptions, what is
the tone?
Serious, Intense, Formal, Focused
MOOD
FOR EXAMPLE:
He approached the task with sheer determination. He had
studied his plans carefully, spent hours preparing and was
sure of his approach. The hours he spent practicing were
grueling and exhausting but he was ready. This was the
year he would win the pie eating contest at school.
According to the setting, what is the mood?
Playful, informal, silly, exciting
You Try!
On the following slides identify the author’s tone or the
reader’s mood and explain how you knew.
Remember:
Tone is determined by
DESCRIPTION or DIALOGUE
Mood is determined by
SETTING or ATMOSPHERE
The TONE of the passage is _________
The author’s ______________ relays the tone.
My annoying brother likes to drive me crazy.
There is no other who is that lazy.
He whines to Mom and Dad night and day
Until he eventually gets his way.
What is a sister to do
When he screams 'til he's blue?
There is no way to win,
For he gets under your skin.
He does his best to kill all joy.
Oh, how my brother does annoy!
The TONE of the passage is _____________
The author’s _______________ relays the
tone.
There is no one
That can be better
Because you are brilliant.
There is nothing
That you cannot you do
Because you are unbeatable.
There is no place
That you cannot go
Because you are always welcomed.
There is no person
That can hold you back
Because you are unstoppable
The MOOD of the passage is ______________
The ______________ relays the MOOD.
The door swings open to reveal all of my
family members standing around the
Christmas tree. The lights are twinkling
and the fireplace is roaring with a warm
fire. Everyone is singing Christmas carols
as the snow falls quietly outside the
window.
The MOOD of the passage is ______________
The ______________ relays the MOOD.
The door swings open to reveal a
Christmas tree, alone in the middle
of the room, sparkling with hundreds
of lights. Silence greets me as I
glance around the room. The
fireplace is empty and the snow
storm howls outside the window. My
family has gone and I am left alone
with my thoughts.
The TONE of the passage is ____________
The author’s _____________ relay the tone.
We’re contacting you today to let you
know about the Special Olympics
annual fund drive. You have been kind
enough to support us generously in the
past, and we’d like to ask for your help
again, as we send our athletes with
special needs to compete at the national
level. Please fill out the form below and
return it in the enclosed envelope with
your donation. It will make a child’s
day if you do.
The MOOD of the passage is ____________
The ____________ relays the MOOD.
The gym of the high school was brightly
decorated. The red and white
streamers covered the walls and
heart shapes were scattered all over
the floor. Red glitter was thrown on
all the tables and love songs were
playing in the background. The
Valentine’s dance was about to begin.
The TONE of the passage is ____________
The author’s _____________ relay the tone.
We received your request for a refund for
your recent purchase of a telescope for
your son. Please accept our sincere
apologies that the product did not
function as advertised. We will process
the refund in as timely a manner as
possible. In the meantime, if we can
help you in any other way, please ask.
The MOOD of the passage is ______________
The ______________ relays the MOOD.
The night it happened was one we will
never forget. The wind was screeching
outside as rain pounded against the
window. We had lost electricity hours
ago and had nothing but candles to
light the house. The battery powered
radio we had was broadcasting a
warning to lock your doors and stay
inside; there was a killer on the loose.
The TONE of the passage is ______________
The author’s _______________ relay the tone.
Lola sat on the old, lumpy couch crying. She
could let it all out here, alone in her
mother’s small, quiet apartment in
Galesburg, Illinois. The familiar walls were
covered in rose pink wallpaper. Goldie, her
mother’s eleventh fish, seemed to stare
sympathetically at Lola through the
fishbowl sitting on the counter. The smell
of her mother’s vanilla candles comforted
her aching heart.
The MOOD of the passage is ______________.
The ______________ relays the mood.
Lola sat on the old, lumpy couch crying. She
could let it all out here, alone in her
mother’s small, quiet apartment in
Galesburg, Illinois. The familiar walls were
covered in rose pink wallpaper. Goldie, her
mother’s eleventh fish, seemed to stare
sympathetically at Lola through the
fishbowl sitting on the counter. The smell
of her mother’s vanilla candles comforted
her aching heart.
The TONE of the passage is ___________.
The _________________ relays the TONE.
“Would you be so kind as to help me
with my groceries?” asked the elderly
woman.
“Not a problem ma’am,” replied the
young man, “I would be happy to
help.”