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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
Key Examples in Sonny’s Blues
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of “Sonny’s Blues” is primarily melancholic. The story is told from the point of view of a man who has lost both parents, as well as his young daughter (who recently died from polio at the age of two). In addition to grieving the loss of these important people from his life, he has also been grieving the fact that his brother Sonny has been in and out of prison for years due to a heroin addiction. Though the narrator eventually takes Sonny in when he is released from prison, he does not have much hope about his brother’s recovery and worries about him constantly.
Related Themes:
