Mood and meaning in extracts of :'A Fable for Tomorrow' by Rachel Carson
...e phrases, 'a strange blight crept', and 'some evil spell', indicating that the town may be cursed in some way. The author describes how the animals became diseased and died, instilling an even darker mood with the added phrase 'everywhere was a shadow of death'. A human element is introduced with the illness and 'unexplained deaths' of the townspeople and also the children, who were 'stricken suddenly while at play', giving the reader a sense of their innocence, thus creating further impact. Using the phrases 'strange stillness', 'deserted', 'silence', Carson now describes an almost lifeless atmosphere of emptiness in the town leaving the townspeople 'puzzled' and 'disturbed' – in comparison to what was once so vibrant with the sights and sounds of life at the beginning of the story. Carson's tone and attitude change again in the final extract. She is no longer telling a story but now reveals her own explanation for writing this modern day fable. It now becomes clear that in an attempt to convey her message, she had created a fictitious town, and incorporated individual events which have occurred from her own personal knowledge. Using the words 'misfortunes', and 'disasters' , then concluding the paragraph with the sentence 'A grim spectre has crept upon us almost unnoticed, and this imagined tragedy may easily become a stark reality we should all know' to evoke further impact on the reader. Ending her piece of writing, the author asks a thought pr...