Which statement correctly differentiates mood and tone in literature?

• A. Mood is the narrator’s attitude toward the reader; tone is the story’s atmosphere.
• B. Mood is the author’s attitude toward the subject; tone is the reader’s emotion.
• C. Mood is the story’s atmosphere; tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject.
• D. Mood is the story’s atmosphere; tone is the writer’s emotion toward the subject.

Answer: (C)

Mood is the atmosphere the story creates for the reader—the feeling the writing elicits through setting, imagery, and sensory detail. Tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject, conveyed through voice, diction, and the way details are presented. So, mood is about how the piece feels to you as you read, while tone is about the writer’s stance toward what they’re describing. For example, a scene might feel eerie and tense (mood) while the narrator expresses sarcasm or admiration toward the subject through their word choice (tone). This distinction is why the statement that mood is the story’s atmosphere and tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject is the best fit.