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Definition of Tone
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on. For instance... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical... read full definition
Part 1, Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis:
Initially, the tone of the book follows Alex's careless and reckless attitude toward life; he is blunt, unfiltered, and crass. In his pompousness, he justifies his behavior as an act of defiance against a government that attempts to control and suppress him. He reflects on this after a visit from P.R. Deltoid, his Post-Corrective Adviser, in Part 1, Chapter 4:
But the not-self cannot have the bad, meaning they of the government and the judges and the schools cannot allow the bad because they cannot allow the self. And is not our modern history, my brothers, the story of brave malensky selves fighting these big machines? I am serious with you, brothers, over this. But what I do I do because I like to do.
By linking harsh means to noble ends, Alex justifies his behavior and envisions himself as a political dissident.
At the same time, he addresses the reader as a kind of rookie droog, to whom he explains how to perform the delinquent lifestyle in Part 1, Chapter 5:
Dim went 'Aaaaaaarhgh,' like some bolshy bezoomny animal, and snaked out the chain from his waist real horrorshow and skorry, so you had to admire. Now the right style for me here was to keep low like in frog-dancing to protect litso and glazes, and this I did, brothers, so that poor old Dim was a malenky bit surprised, him being accustomed to the straight face-on lash lash lash.
Here, Alex puffs up his own performance to impress the reader, using a slightly smug tone. He suggests that the reader "had to admire" his skills in combat, explaining the unexpected strategy that gave him the upper hand as if it were planned way in advance.
After Alex is jailed and "treated," the tone turns more dismal and defeated, a shift he directly acknowledges at the beginning of Part 2, Chapter 1:
I take it up now, and this is the real weepy and like tragic part of the story beginning, my brothers and only friends, in Staja (State Jail, that is) Number 84F.
Though Alex attempts to stay vigilant, he becomes more honest with the reader about the pain, struggle, and even fear he experiences in his everyday life.
Related Themes:
Part 1, Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis:
Initially, the tone of the book follows Alex's careless and reckless attitude toward life; he is blunt, unfiltered, and crass. In his pompousness, he justifies his behavior as an act of defiance against a government that attempts to control and suppress him. He reflects on this after a visit from P.R. Deltoid, his Post-Corrective Adviser, in Part 1, Chapter 4:
But the not-self cannot have the bad, meaning they of the government and the judges and the schools cannot allow the bad because they cannot allow the self. And is not our modern history, my brothers, the story of brave malensky selves fighting these big machines? I am serious with you, brothers, over this. But what I do I do because I like to do.
By linking harsh means to noble ends, Alex justifies his behavior and envisions himself as a political dissident.
At the same time, he addresses the reader as a kind of rookie droog, to whom he explains how to perform the delinquent lifestyle in Part 1, Chapter 5:
Dim went 'Aaaaaaarhgh,' like some bolshy bezoomny animal, and snaked out the chain from his waist real horrorshow and skorry, so you had to admire. Now the right style for me here was to keep low like in frog-dancing to protect litso and glazes, and this I did, brothers, so that poor old Dim was a malenky bit surprised, him being accustomed to the straight face-on lash lash lash.
Here, Alex puffs up his own performance to impress the reader, using a slightly smug tone. He suggests that the reader "had to admire" his skills in combat, explaining the unexpected strategy that gave him the upper hand as if it were planned way in advance.
After Alex is jailed and "treated," the tone turns more dismal and defeated, a shift he directly acknowledges at the beginning of Part 2, Chapter 1:
I take it up now, and this is the real weepy and like tragic part of the story beginning, my brothers and only friends, in Staja (State Jail, that is) Number 84F.
Though Alex attempts to stay vigilant, he becomes more honest with the reader about the pain, struggle, and even fear he experiences in his everyday life.
Related Themes:
Part 2, Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis:
Initially, the tone of the book follows Alex's careless and reckless attitude toward life; he is blunt, unfiltered, and crass. In his pompousness, he justifies his behavior as an act of defiance against a government that attempts to control and suppress him. He reflects on this after a visit from P.R. Deltoid, his Post-Corrective Adviser, in Part 1, Chapter 4:
But the not-self cannot have the bad, meaning they of the government and the judges and the schools cannot allow the bad because they cannot allow the self. And is not our modern history, my brothers, the story of brave malensky selves fighting these big machines? I am serious with you, brothers, over this. But what I do I do because I like to do.
By linking harsh means to noble ends, Alex justifies his behavior and envisions himself as a political dissident.
At the same time, he addresses the reader as a kind of rookie droog, to whom he explains how to perform the delinquent lifestyle in Part 1, Chapter 5:
Dim went 'Aaaaaaarhgh,' like some bolshy bezoomny animal, and snaked out the chain from his waist real horrorshow and skorry, so you had to admire. Now the right style for me here was to keep low like in frog-dancing to protect litso and glazes, and this I did, brothers, so that poor old Dim was a malenky bit surprised, him being accustomed to the straight face-on lash lash lash.
Here, Alex puffs up his own performance to impress the reader, using a slightly smug tone. He suggests that the reader "had to admire" his skills in combat, explaining the unexpected strategy that gave him the upper hand as if it were planned way in advance.
After Alex is jailed and "treated," the tone turns more dismal and defeated, a shift he directly acknowledges at the beginning of Part 2, Chapter 1:
I take it up now, and this is the real weepy and like tragic part of the story beginning, my brothers and only friends, in Staja (State Jail, that is) Number 84F.
Though Alex attempts to stay vigilant, he becomes more honest with the reader about the pain, struggle, and even fear he experiences in his everyday life.
Related Themes:
