Unit 6 Lesson 5: Mood and Sensory Language Flashcards
denotation
the literal meaning of a word
dystopian
descriptive term for an imagined society where people suffer and live wretched lives because of some terrible event
nuances
subtle or slight degrees of difference in a word’s meaning
What kind of words do authors focus on selecting
Authors focus on selecting words that will influence the reader’s emotions and how they react to a story.
What do nuances help create
Nuances in the meanings of words help to create a more multi-faceted depiction of the story’s atmosphere.
How might the mood and tone change
The mood and tone of the story might shift over time to reflect new events and challenges faced by the characters.
Common types of social controls used to portray a dystopian world in fiction include
Common types of social controls used to portray a dystopian world in fiction include corporate or economic control, bureaucratic control, technical control, or philosophical or religious control.
When a literary work describes a dystopian society, oppressive social controls are used to give
When a literary work describes a dystopian society, oppressive social controls are used to give the illusion of perfect harmony.
Authors choose their words carefully to create specific effects. What influence does this have
Authors choose their words carefully to create specific effects. Together, these words influence how the reader experiences the settings, events, and characters of a story.
How might words with the same denotation be extremly different
Words often have a similar denotation, or literal meaning. However, they may have an extremely different connotation, or the ideas and feelings associated with words. The associations might be positive, negative, or even neutral. Authors think about these associations when deciding to use certain words together.
Authors rely on nuances of meaning to create the
Authors rely on nuances of meaning to create the mood and tone of a story.
Why is recognizing the mood and tone important
Recognizing the mood and tone and how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text is critical to a reader. By crafting both literary elements with care, an author can affect the reader’s response to the text.
mood vs tone
the mood of a piece is the atmosphere of the piece of writing, while the tone is how the author of the story feels about the characters and their situation.
Why is it important for a reader to analyze the nuances of meaning of the words used in a story?
Paying attention to these nuances of meaning will help the reader understand why a story makes them feel the way it does and help them recognize how the author feels about the story.
How do the words heat, hot, warmth, and burns share a similar denotation? How do their connotations differ? How do the words stings and bites share a similar denotation? How do their connotations differ?
Sample answer: The words heat, hot, warmth, and burns all have meanings related to a high temperature. They differ because heat and hot have connotations of the highest type of temperature, warmth has the connotation of a pleasant feeling of heat, and burns has the connotation of pain and causing an injury through heat. The words stings and bites both have meanings related to being attacked and painfully injured. They differ because stings has the connotation of a sudden sharp piercing, while bites has the connotation of being seized by teeth.
