The mood of a work of literature is the feeling that the author creates for the reader. The mood, of course, can change throughout the work depending on what happens in the plot. The point in Chains you mentioned in your question comes from the end of Chapter 18. You ask specifically about when the "barrel is kicked away." Before this time, the mood is fairly light. Ruth is being carried by Curzon. Ruth is giggling. The reader wonders what is going on as citizens begin throwing things at the man named Hickey. When the "barrel is kicked away," it is the moment of death for a man named Hickey, a soldier in the Continental Army who has been accused of treason by the British. Here the mood switches to one of fear or horror. Hickey is marched up stairs, is made to stand on top of a barrel, stands still as the noose is tied around his neck, and listens as drums begin to play. In order to hang Hickey, the "barrel is kicked away," but at this moment, Isabel cannot take the image so she closes her eyes. This confirms the negative mood of fear and horror.
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