Final answer:
The mood of the murder night across various texts is tense, ominous, and reflective, emphasizing character's inner turmoil and isolation. Darkness both literal and figurative accentuates the emotional weight of the narrative, leaving characters to grapple with their actions, fears, and an overwhelming sense of finality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mood that prevails during the night of the murder in various literary excerpts can be described as tense, ominous, and laden with regret. The darkness of the night often mirrors the dark deeds and the heavy conscience of characters involved. For instance, Venters is filled with self-reproach as he watches over a dying girl, feeling the weight of his actions. Elsewhere, John experiences intense anxiety and fear when he hears ambiguous sounds in the night, which stir him from uneasy dreams. Meanwhile, the final moments of another character are coated in a profound silence that deepens with the night, emphasizing the finality and isolation that follows the act of murder.
Similarly, Wolfe wanders the streets enveloped in foggy despondency, having failed in his life's critical test, emblematic of defeat and lost purpose. The innocence and fear of a little sleeper highlight a stark contrast to the adult-world of violence and death, with the misty veil of evening representing confusion and fear. On another scene, Jane Withersteen gazes upon a twilight valley, where the encroaching night enhances the wild loneliness of her surroundings. In another case, the soothing approach of the moonlight brings a weary mill worker the promise of rest and tranquility, a sharp departure from his life's harsh labors.
The narratives collectively use the cover of night to explore various emotional landscapes, from terror to tranquility, as characters confront the consequences of their actions, the uncertainties of fate, or the solemnity of their solitude. The common thread in each scenario is the profound impact that the nocturnal setting has on amplifying the emotional and psychological states of the characters, as they navigate through the darkness that encompasses both their environment and their inner turmoil.