Setting and Mood // Emma Kate Patterson

 I find it interesting the emphasis Dickens puts on pollution on the first page. He talks about the fog and emphasizes the pollution and dirtiness of the of the city. Setting plays a major role in the book so I believe it is important to recognize the emphasis of this detail that Dickens points out about the city in which the book, Bleak House, takes place. He states in chapter one," Fog everywhere. Fog up the river, where it flows among green aits and meadows; fog down the river, where it rolls defiled among the tiers of shipping and the waterside pollutions of a great (and dirty) city." This sets the mood of the book in the first chapter. It creates an eerie and mysterious mood. This detail and sentence about the setting is important point out because it sets the mood for the start of the book. The fog creates a setting in which a lot is unknown and unseen. Fog makes it hard and see and docent allow for a clear view of one surroundings. This signifies an unknown and mysterious mood for the reader. The detail of dirty reveals to the reader an eerie mood. Dirtiness signifies abandonment and lack of care. This creates an overall eerie feeling. The details Dickens sues to describe the setting at the opening of the book sets the mood for the bringing of the book as an eerie, mysterious, and unknown mood.


I commented on Song Whittington’s post and Emily Otts’ post.

Comments

  1. Breanna PooleOctober 26, 2021 at 8:13 AM

    Setting is one of the most important parts of a story, as it sets the mood of the story, as you pointed out in your blog post. Dickens wants to make sure this story is properly eerie, and the idea of fog clouding the setting certainly sets the mood for the story. The fog clouds the location the same way confusion interrupts our understanding of what is happening.

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  2. Braylan StringfellowOctober 26, 2021 at 8:48 AM

    You are absolutely right on how the emphasis of the fog and pollution sets the mood for the entire book. While reading through a bright sunny day never came to mind during any of the scenes following the first few paragraphs following chapter 1.

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