The Changing Mood of "Hurry, Hurry!"

Essay by bao_tHigh School, 12th gradeA-, July 2004

download word file, 3 pages 3.0

Downloaded 32 times

In the short story "Hurry, Hurry", Ethel Wilson intended to write a short story with a mood that changed from a peaceful sensation to a suspenseful or violent feeling. She doubtlessly succeeded in creating a change in the mood by the means of utilizing significant literary devices, such as setting, imagery, and sentence structure.

Ethel Wilson began her short story with a peaceful mood for the reason that a part of the setting was effectively portrayed as a beautiful, calm, and isolated area. However, a suspenseful or violent feeling is sensed when the rest of the setting is revealed. At first, it is evident that readers sensed peacefulness by the fact that there was the presence of "the late afternoon light falling obliquely" and the "salt wind blew softly from the sea" (183). Later on in the short story, Ethel Wilson has also caused readers to have a suspenseful sensation by revealing some unpleasant features of the setting.

There is no doubt that readers felt the suspense since Miriam "suddenly saw a strange object...this thing was about the size of a tremendous hunched cat...she had instant warning that this creature was alive." As a result, the mood drastically transformed from peacefulness to suspense for the reason that the thrilling features of the setting were revealed to readers during the climax and the conclusion, but Ethel Wilson concealed them at first to create a peaceful mood in "Hurry, Hurry". Therefore, the mood in this short story changed from a tranquil sensation to an uneasy feeling.

The utilization of imagery has enabled Ethel Wilson to significantly change the mood of her short story. Readers initially sensed the calm mood, but this sensation significantly changed by the end of the story. There is a sense that the beginning of "Hurry, Hurry"...