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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
Key Examples in Far From the Madding Crowd
Chapter 44
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of Far from the Madding Crowd is tragicomic, weaving together sorrow and humor. After Troy tells Bathsheba that she is nothing to him, she flees into the woods to hide from her life and her feelings. There, she crosses paths with a schoolboy practicing his prayers:
“‘O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord’: That I know. ‘Give us, give us, give us, give us, give us’: That I know. ‘Grace that, grace that, grace that, grace that’: That I know.” [....]The boy was of the dunce class apparently [....]. In the worst attacks of trouble there appears to be always a superficial film of consciousness which is left disengaged and open to the notice of trifles, and Bathsheba was faintly amused at the boy’s method, till he too passed on.
