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Style
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
Chapter 28
Explanation and Analysis:
The novel is sympathetic to Charlotte, but its tone is also inflammatory and instructive. Rowson aims to tell a dramatic and highly emotional story that will help young readers learn about the dangers of the world. In Chapter 28, for instance, Rowson addresses this reader directly:
“Bless my heart,” cries my young, volatile reader, “I shall never have patience to get through these volumes, there are so many ahs! and ohs! so much fainting, tears, and distress, I am sick to death of the subject.” My dear, chearful, innocent girl, for innocent I will suppose you to be, or you would acutely feel the woes of Charlotte, did conscience say, thus might it have been with me, had not Providence interposed to snatch me from destruction: therefore, my lively, innocent girl, I must request your patience; I am writing a tale of truth [...]
Here and elsewhere in the novel, Rowson identifies her primary reader as a "chearful, innocent girl." She imagines that she is losing this girl's attention by including "so many ahs! and ohs! so much fainting, tears, and distress." Rowson seems to be acknowledging that all this over-the-top damsel behavior is not necessarily a realistic depiction of the way most girls behaved in the 18th century. Acknowledging the frustration of reading such descriptions might be Rowson's little way of hinting that male writers have often written unrealistically fragile women into their novels. Nonetheless, she also insists that "I am writing a tale of truth" and that, in this case, the intense emotion is real and should be taken seriously. She tells the "innocent girl" to pay attention, be patient, and try to sympathize with Charlotte because only "Providence" has saved her from suffering the same fate. Rowson's tone is thus that of a teacher offering a combination of moral and practical life lessons. Specifically, she takes the tone of a teacher who uses scare tactics to try to prevent her students from making mistakes.
Related Themes:
