What Are Examples of Dominant Impression?

By Staff Writer | Last Updated August 4, 2015

Some examples of dominant impression include happiness, sadness, comfort, safety, insecurity, sincerity, disgust, delight, satisfaction, joy, frustration, irritation and pain. Dominant impression is the way that the author wants the audience to feel or to be affected when reading his or her written work.

Authors achieve dominant impression by writing content that is descriptive with details and has purpose. An example of this can be seen in an author writing about a specific experience that they had. The author would write down the sensory sounds, views, smells and meaning that were present in that significant moment. These descriptions can then help to inspire the same feelings in the reader, thus achieving the dominant impression that the author was looking to covey.

In more technical work, the dominant impression can be stated directly, so that the reader knows what they are supposed to glean from the text. This can also occur in fictional work, when the author states what a character’s feelings are rather than describing them. For example, an author who wants to convey the feeling of safety, may state outright that their character is eating chocolate chip cookies made by their mother and that it makes them feel safe. Conversely, the same feelings can be implied by talking about the cookies and describing the texture, taste, smell, sound and protective/comforting presence of the mother in the room.