Previous
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
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
The defining aspect of the tone of Into the Wild is the fact that Krakauer wrote the book as an extension of his article about Chris McCandless in the magazine Outside. Into the Wild was an attempt to correct errors from the article and respond to criticism of it. Krakauer's stated aim is to frame Chris not as a foolhardy, juvenile idealist, but as a legitimately talented outdoorsman, if a troubled and solipsistic one. As a result the book's tone is similar to that of an apology, in the classical sense: Krakauer presents Chris's life, as well as how the public reacted to him, and offers a defense of his actions. The tone is, therefore, forthright, defensive, and appealing.
But Krakauer does not sugarcoat Chris's actions, and he is critical when necessary. Krakauer's view of Chris is complex and nuanced, which complicates the novel's tone. From the beginning of the novel, when Chris abandons his watch with Wayne Westerberg and refuses free food, Krakauer does not idolize Chris's selfish stupidity. Krakauer certainly has a romantic view of mountain climbing and outdoorsmanship—one that comes through especially in his chapters about himself as well as those about other significant climbers. This affects the tone, as Krakauer is always sympathetic to Chris's boldness and ingenuity. The tone, to summarize, follows Krakauer's nuanced opinion of Chris, both personal and journalistic.
