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Bliss: Tone 1 key example

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

Key Examples in Bliss

Tone
Explanation and Analysis:

The tone of “Bliss” can be described as obliquely critical, in contrast to Bertha’s own naiveté. Though Mansfield’s use of the close third-person may seem like an endorsement of Bertha’s perspective, as Bertha’s world comes into focus, Mansfield's slyly suggestive tone allows the reader to understand her as a character who does not truly know herself (and cannot fully articulate her desires, or even comprehend them). Bertha believes her world, and her life, to be infallible, but clearly, this is not the case. She is in a loveless marriage, bound to conventions and traditions, and removed from her own daughter, who is cared for by a nanny.