Final answer:
Tone refers to the narrator's attitude toward the subject, conveyed through word choice and writing style, while mood pertains to the atmosphere of the narrative and the reader's emotional response.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Tone and Mood in Writing
Tone and mood are elements of literature that are often confused, but they involve different aspects of the narrative. The tone refers to the author or narrator's attitude toward the subject or audience. This manifests through diction (word choice), and it can range from informal to formal, sarcastic to sincere, or playful to serious. It's an expression of the writer's or speaker's viewpoint and can shift even within a single piece of writing.
On the other hand, mood is the atmosphere of the narrative or the emotional response that the writer aims to evoke in the reader. While tone is conveyed by the author's style and choice of language, mood is reflected in the setting, imagery, and the context within the narrative. Mood can induce feelings of sadness, happiness, tension, or calm in the reader, depending on how the story is told.
To recap, the correct answer is B: Tone is the narrator's attitude toward a subject, whereas mood is how the writing makes the reader feel. Tone is specific to the author's expression within the writing itself, while mood is about the reader's emotional experience as they engage with the text.