1. March 12 – Setting Agenda: Quick-write Setting a Mood
Identifying Tone and Mood
Identifying Tone and Mood in The Great Gatsby
Defining Gatsby
Homework:
Gatsby – Character Traits
Take Out:
Homework: Gatsby’s Party
Pen/Pencil
Notebook
The Great Gatsby
Goals:
Explore an author’s use of tone and mood in their work

2. Quick-Write
What is “mood” and how does it apply to reading literature?
How and why might an author set a mood?

3. Setting a Mood Author’s choose to set a specific TONE and MOOD
Tone is the attitude that the author establishes in their writing (regarding the characters, the situation, etc.)
A work of writing can have more than one tone.
Examples: Serious, Humorous
Tone is set mainly by description of setting, characters and dialogue
Mood is the general atmosphere created by the author’s words
It is the feeling the reader gets from reading those words.
It may be the same, or it may change from situation to situation.
Devices to create mood: images, dialogue, setting, and plot

4. Setting a Mood
The TONE is the attitude that the author establishes with their writing
The MOOD is what the author’s words are meant to make you feel as you read their work
Practice with the “Identifying Tone and Mood” worksheet

5. Identifying Tone and Mood
Bouncing into the room, she lit up the vicinity with a joyous glow on her face as she told about her fiancé and their wedding plans.
Tone:
Context Clues:
Mood:

6. Identifying Tone and Mood
Share your conclusions with your table-partner
Did you identify the same tone, mood and context clues?
If you did not, explore why you came to different conclusions
If you did, try making up a few sentences of your own that set a specific tone and mood

7. Tone and Mood in Gatsby Look back through your homework
In your notebook, write down answers to the following questions:
What TONE does Fitzgerald set in this description?
What specific details does Fitzgerald use to set that tone?
What MOOD does Fitzgerald set in this description?
How is that mood established?

8. Group Work: The World of Gatsby
In the story, you have received a detailed description of FOUR settings so far:
The Buchanan’s House
The Valley of Ashes (Wilson’s Garage)
Myrtle’s Apartment
Gatsby’s Mansion
In your group, you are responsible for creating a poster that does all of the following for ALL FOUR SETTINGS:
Identifies the Tone
Includes at least FOUR details that set the tone
Identifies the Mood
Includes at least FOUR details that show how Fitzgerald sets a specific mood
Illustrates each setting

9. Defining Gatsby Nick, the narrator, FINALLY meets Gatsby in chapter 3
Using the details that you learn in the book, complete the worksheet “Jay Gatsby – The Myth”
List details from the book to fill out the sheet
Don’t use all of the room – we will learn more about Gatsby in the next couple of chapters