English Composition

English Composition Study Guide

Common words used to describe tone include: • Apathetic • Bitter • Calm • Condescending • Contemplative • Cynical • Dark • • • • • • • Common words used to describe mood include: • Calm • Chilling • Depressing • Eerie • Foreboding • Gloomy • Grim • • • • •

Disapproving Exaggerated Formal Melancholy Melodramatic Nonchalant Optimistic Heartbreaking Morbid Mysterious Ominous Powerful

Patronizing Pessimistic Playful Sincere Somber Suspicious Whimsical Romantic Sad Sorrowful Spooky Terrifying

• • • • • • • • • • • •

• Tranquil The meaning of a writing and the author’s intent is often portrayed through tone and mood. It is important to be able to analyze the use of tone and mood within a writing and to be able to write with an intentional tone and mood in your own writing. 4.4 Conflict and Characterization The conflict within the story gives insight to the meaning. Characters in the story often deal with internal conflict , which is a struggle within a character. For example, a character may struggle with an internal debate over whether or not to admit to cheating on a spouse. Characters also deal with external conflict , which is conflict between characters. For example, two characters in a story may be arguing over custody of children in a divorce. The conflict, and more importantly the way in which the characters work through it and resolve it, is a significant part of the theme or message of the story. Readers can learn a lot about the author’s intent and meaning from analyzing the ways in which characters deal with conflict. The way characters are developed and change over the course of a story is another way to gather meaning from a text. Static characters stay the same over the course of a story. The lack of change or growth can say a lot about a character and add to the meaning of the work. Dynamic characters change throughout the story, and often times this growth and the journey of the character is important when interpreting meaning.

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