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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
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of “Chickamauga” is darkly ironic, cynical, and resigned. Though the child is having a grand adventure for most of the story, the narrator is clearly aware of all that the child cannot comprehend about the brutal realities of war. While the child sees the hundreds of wounded soldiers moving through the woods as part of his make-believe games, the narrator understands how deeply injured and traumatized they are, as evident in the following passage:
But on and ever on they crept, these maimed and bleeding men, as heedless as he of the dramatic contrast between his laughter and their own ghastly gravity. To him it was a merry spectacle.
Related Themes:
