Copy down a key descriptive passage from your novel. Analyze the tone and mood the author creates through word choice--both the connotation and the denotation of the description. Weave words and phrases from the key passage into your analysis as your evidence--be sure to cite your evidence correctly as well.
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Aliya Wilcox
10/28/2015 09:05:41 pm
In my book, “Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer” by Katie Alender, there is one passage in the first chapter that stood out to me, and I knew at once it was important. “On the velvet lay a shining silver medallion with a tiny, intricate vine around its edge. At the top of the medallion was a simple hole where a black ribbon was looped, and in the center was an engraved key – the old-fashioned kind, with big square teeth. The round part of the key had a cutout in the shape of a flower with six spiky petals. I delicately lifted the medallion and looked at the writing on the other side. I held it closer to the light, but all I could really understand was one word: Iselin. My last name.” (14) When I read this passage, I can clearly see the medallion in my mind. The author seemed to have a suspenseful attitude about this passage because it is Colette’s last name, the heroine in the book. This is my interpretation of the tone. The mood, or the way it makes me feel, is anxious because when I learned her last name was on the back of the medallion, and given the title, I didn’t think that this would be in her favor. What part could it play? “…in the center was an engraved key…” (14) might hint that the medallion could be used as a key to somewhere in Paris, France. This seems logical because Colette’s family originated from France. Also, “The round part of the key had a cutout of a flower with six spiky petals.”(14) The same flower as described appears later on in the book at an old castle in Paris. It was the same design without the key. Though the passage makes me feel anxious, it also makes me feel imaginative. I wonder what role this medallion will play in the story. Because it was in her great-grandmother’s possession last, the passage makes me wonder what might my family have that is waiting to be dug up.
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Gaby Bowman
11/7/2015 09:24:08 am
Dear Alyia,
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Michael Winward
11/9/2015 06:24:14 pm
Gaby,
Kole Arellano
12/6/2015 04:51:55 pm
Aliya,
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Peyton Clark
12/8/2015 05:43:28 pm
In my book "The Book Theif " by Markus Zusak and in your book "Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer" by Katie Alender both start off the beginning with a surprise. In my book the author states "Here's a small fact: you are going to die"(3) on the very first page, witch doesn't make a good impression, but leaves you wondering how does this come into play? Such as you medallion I your book these pieces of information will change the story dramatically. Our tone is very different, yours is very mysterious, and mine is very direct in its information. In my book you quickly find out what death has to do with every thing. When her brother dies she steals her first book and in in your book the medallion may lead to your character finding our more about her self. Though our tone is diverse both of our books will lead us wonder what comes next.
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Kole Arellano
11/4/2015 07:41:14 pm
“We were both quiet as we walked out of the hotel bar. I was felling a little uncomfortable, maybe a lot uncomfortable.
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Tysen Trujillo
11/9/2015 08:18:49 pm
Kole,
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Cora Perkins
11/8/2015 03:52:25 pm
In my novel, “Animal Farm” the descriptive passage basically signifies the beginning of the end. But, without the authors word choice it wouldn’t be the same.
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Ella Tripoli
11/16/2015 10:57:35 am
Description is used to really get the image of a character, an object, or even a canvas that the author is trying to get across. In my current novel, “the Face on the Milk Carton”, Caroline B. Cooney describes Janie when she was two years old as the face on the milk carton. “The girl on the carton was an ordinary little girl. Hair in tight pig tails, one against each this check. A dress with a narrow white collar. The dress was white with tiny dark polka dots.” (Cooney 10) This contrasts with my novel because earlier in the story Janie, the protagonist, and dislikes how “ordinary” she is. She wants to change her name to “Jayyne Jonstone” in order to not be “as ordinary”. When Janie say that the little girl was her the tone of the novel changed from ordinary into original. The novel if just like the character Janie herself, once ordinary but now new, original, interesting.
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Grace Smith
11/17/2015 08:21:39 pm
In my book, Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka one passage contained much great word choice that help contribute to a careless tone and mood. “Gregor’s glance then turned to the window. The dreary weather (the rain drops were falling audibly down on the metal window ledge) made him quite melancholy. ‘Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness,’ he thought. But this was entirely impractical, for he was used to sleeping on his right side, and in his present state he couldn’t get himself into this position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side, he always rolled again onto his back. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes, so that he would not have to see the wriggling legs, and gave up only when he began to feel a light, dull pain in his side which he had never felt before.”
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Cora Perkins
12/5/2015 12:57:17 pm
“We leave through passage in the forest. It extends beneath the sea, just one of the mane tunnels around the island that leads back into the fea city. Above us, I can hear the waves crashing and lapping against the shore as we make our way through the dark, glittering rocks. The tunnel brings us out at the border between fae and human parts of the city: the field of seilgflur is a line of defense, a wordless way of reminding any wandering humans that crossing this field puts them in fae territory,” (270).
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Kole Arellano
12/6/2015 01:36:01 pm
“Although the flashlight continued to flicker in the distance, they felt sheltered enough to try to orient themselves. Unfolding the map produced a crackle that was, in this silence, almost as disconcerting as gunfire. Jesus, Mag thought, might as well make some popcorn while we’re at it. But the flashlight didn’t waver.” (Page 19) The tone is caution because the map unfolding is compared to being as loud as gunfire. The mood is fearful because they don’t want to be heard or discovered. When Mag thought “Jesus, might as well make some popcorn while we’re at it” he was thinking that they were too loud and might as well be louder because that already gave them a chance to be caught. They must be cautious and if they aren’t they are fearful that they might be discovered.
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Aliya Wilcox
12/6/2015 02:52:43 pm
Kole,
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Chloe Williams
12/6/2015 02:32:47 pm
There is often more depth to an author's word choice than what's just on the surface. The meaning of a sentence/passage/word is like an iceberg. What can be seen on the surface is a small amount. A person must look deeper to find the other 90%. My book, "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli uses word choice with many different meanings that contribute to the tone and mood. The connotation and denotation provide the reader with different ideas.
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Peyton Clark
12/8/2015 05:30:33 pm
In my new novel "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak sets the mood and tone almost immediately gives the tone and mood. "I walked in, loosened his soul, and carried it gently away."(10) Just by looking at this short sentence you get an eerie tone from it. Because I have just started to read this book I can't give you that much information or any names of characters... yet. It first starts out seeming like a man with a sense of darkness inside but then he starts taking souls. And has seen many of deaths and "eclipses" when a human dies. "I've seen millions of them."(11) these few short lines give an eerie even scary tone. But I also am liking the way you are able to see death from a different perspective. Seeing death carrying souls away gently and with care. Seeing something as beautiful as an eclipse when another human is gone. The author is vey direct. For example on the vey first page he starts off with this, " Here's a small fact: you're going to die,"(3) this line definitely shows the scary creepiness of the book but he is able to string straight facts throughout the book. Him being so direct gives so much of his personality away. Now that you know what the tone is the mood should be very understandable. The mood of the story is very uneasy and unsettling. Knowing that you are listening to the story of death makes you feel scared. When I read the last stated quote my first thought was "that's different." Though it has a scary tone I was impressed with how the author presented his information and started the story. The mood you have with this book really depends on how you interpret it. I think that the passage that shows this the most is "You see, to me, for just a moment, despite all of the colors that touch and grapple with what I see in the world, I will often catch an eclipse when a human dies."(11) I don't know why but I feel that this passage shows how you can see different things in a situation could make you feel better about the situation.
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