In literature, when people talk about the mood of a piece they are usually referring to its atmosphere, or the feeling it is meant to evoke. Mood can be tricky to talk about, because it is often different for different people. In addition, one story can often have several different moods. Generally speaking, it is better to think about the mood the author intended, rather than the mood the reader might have felt. In Andy Weir’s short story “The Egg,” the mood is uplifting and philosophical. There is very little description or background in this story, its dialogue-driven nature going a long way to establish the philosophical mood.

The uplifting mood is more difficult to establish, because the story begins on a very somber note. One of the two characters has just died—though the story is not told through his perspective (him, in this story, also being the reader) but from God’s perspective. There is also a cozy, maternal mood to the story. Weir accomplishes this cozy mood by having God speak to the reader directly, beginning the story: “You were on your way home when you died” and ending it “And I sent you on your way.” The omniscient, caring narration helps to establishes the coziness and eventually uplifting mood of the story.