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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 1
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of Death in Venice is characterized by a sense of introspection and rigid self-control that ultimately fails to suppress Aschenbach's overwhelming desires and feelings. Early in the novella, Ashenbach exercises a sense of restraint that colors the tone of the narration. When he first feels a spontaneous impulse to travel after observing the red-haired man, he is quick to suppress that impulse:
And thus the emotion that had now come over him so belatedly and so suddenly was quickly tempered and rectified by his reason and by the self-discipline he had practiced from his youth. He had made up his mind that, before moving to the country, he would complete up to a given point the book he was now living for, and the thought of an aimless trip that would call him away from his work for months seemed too lax and counterproductive [...] And yet he knew all too well from what cause the temptation had so unexpectedly arisen. It was an urge to escape [...]
Related Themes:
