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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:
Overall, the tone of “Life in the Iron Mills” is anything but cheerful. The narrator’s attitude varies somewhat, but consistently throughout the story there’s an overarching sense of tiredness and despair. In general, the narrator's voice conveys the intense weariness they—and the characters they describe—feel when thinking about the realities of mill life. There’s also a sense of detachment from events, which similarly stems from the numbing drudgery of millwork. This weariness is more than physical, it’s psychological. It permeates the mental state of all the story’s workers, showing how bleak the prospect of factory life was in the 19th century. The genderless narrator also remains sympathetic and emotionally descriptive from beginning to end. This works to bridge the gap between the reader and the mill workers, drawing readers closer to the grimy reality of workers' day-to-day.
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