Both authors of "A Christmas Memory" and "Pancakes" utilize similar literary techniques, but the authors convey different themes by doing so. Truman Capote uses mood, imagery, and symbolism to generate a relaxing and peaceful mood, whereas Bauer uses the same techniques, but to generate a frustrating mood. Although the literary devices used by Capote and Bauer are the same, they yield different moods for the reader by using mood imagery, and symbolism. .
Both authors use the element of mood effectively, but they utilize it convey different types of the element into their story. An example of mood in Joan Bauer's "Pancakes" can be found in the excerpt". Teeny weeny ones coming up, I chirped, and raced back to Andy," and "Chocolate silver dollars for the brat on eight. " This excerpt clearly shows a mood of frustration of the narrator, as she is tired of her job of serving a group of people by using the word 'brat', 'chirped', and 'raced'. In "A Christmas Memory," the depiction of mood can be seen in the beginning excerpts, "The kitchen is growing dark. Dusk turns the window into a mirror: our reflections mingle with the rising moon as we work by the fireside in the firelight. At last, when the moon is quite high, we toss the final hull into the fire and, with joined sighs, watch it catch flame." The mood is depicted in this excerpt is that of relaxation and patience as the author uses words 'at last' and 'sigh' to clearly give the reader what mood is being expressed in the story. These excerpts taken from "A Christmas Memory" and "Pancakes" clearly show that Joan Bauer and Truman Capote used the same elements, but used it to convey a different type of mood in the story.
Another element that both authors utilize is imagery. An example of imagery that can be seen in "Pancakes" is, ".