what is the tone and mood of the short story ''A Dark Brown Dog''?

A
Dark-Brown Dog is a short story by American author Stephen Crane (1871-1900). Crane is renowned
for his Civil War novel, The Red Badge of Courage. He is also noted as a
master of American , a literary style which rejects Romanticism and seeks to portray events and
characters in a stark, unadorned way. Keep this background in mind as you examine the tone and
mood of A Dark-Brown Dog.

Before we explore this short storys tone and
mood, let us review the definition of these terms. Tone is a literary device that projects the
attitude of the writer. Tone is often conveyed in subtle ways. Mood is the overall feeling that
the writer wants to create in the mind of the reader. Think of mood as a background color. Look
for both tone and mood very early on in anything you happen to be reading and you will find that
the writer has selected very specific words and situations to set up these two literary
devices.

The Dark-Brown Dog can be very difficult to read, as it portrays
the incessant and escalating abuse of a gentle little dog (and the wanderings of a neglected
toddler) within the context of a very dysfunctional family. Try to read the story with a degree
of emotional detachment if you can, in order to discover the authors purpose, meaning, and
literary techniques. Also keep in mind that general societal attitudes in America at the time
when Crane wrote the story were far more tolerant of physical abuse (or discipline), both of
youngsters and of animals, than is the case today. This being said, however, there is something
undeniably wrong with the family in the story. Crane effectively illustrates the phenomenon of
anger displacement in the reckless way that the unnamed childs family members interact with each
other, and ultimately, with the small and helpless stray dog that the unnamed toddler drags
home.

What can we notice about the authors attitude or tone? First of all,
Cranes use of the indefinite article A rather than The in the title suggests that the dog,
like the unnamed toddler (whom Crane refers to merely as the child) are representative not of
only one particular situation, but of a condition that is all-too commonplace. He writes with
the tone of an indifferent observer when it comes to the child, the father (who is often drunk
and violent), the mother, and the indistinct big folk at home, who regularly insult and
maltreat the dog (and one may surmise, each other). We are not told much of anything about their
inner lives.

Cranes tone changes, however, when he writes about the dog. He
poignantly describes the creatures heart-wrenching reactions to the abuse he suffers and his
unfailing loyalty and devotion to the child in spite of the indignities to which he is
constantly subjected. The contrast in the authors tone poignantly underscores the inhumanity of
the humans and the finest of human qualities of the dog. In fact, the one time in the story
when nature's beauty is mentioned is as afor the dogs character: Down in the mystic field of
his little dog-soul bloomed flowers of love and fidelity and perfect faith.

What kind of mood does the story call to mind? In the first lines, Crane the paints a
scene of urban pollution and noise: Sunshine beat down upon the cobbles, and a lazy summer
wind raised yellow dust which trailed in clouds down the avenue. Clattering trucks moved with
indistinctness through it. Clearly, this is not an area where a very young child would be safe
wandering around alone, yet an unsupervised toddler stands on a street corner, leaning against a
fence. We learn later that this is part of the childs routine (a perfunctory route) and not
just a one-time event. We also learn by gradual clues that culminate in the end of the story,
just how young this child is (It took him a long time to reach the alley, because his size
compelled him to go downstairs backward, one step at a time, and holding both hands to the step
above.)

In your efforts to come up with your own description of the storys
mood, consider first what feelings the story does not evoke. To me, the opening scene of a dusty
road with noisy trucks and a toddler wandering alone does not feel safe, wholesome, or serene.
In fact, it reeks of indifference and neglect. I am made to wonder what kind of family would let
a child that young wander a city neighborhood. The appearance of a very small stray dog with a
rope still attached to his neck evokes what I would call a sense of pathos. The agreeability and
eagerness that the dog demonstrates, even when the boy tells him in his own way that he is
unworthy and beats him conveys a strong message about what the child must himself experience at
home.