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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 The Birds
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of "The Birds" is one of fear and foreboding. It takes on its protagonist, Nat's, voice, especially in moments of unease, urgency, or frustration. Both Nat's thoughts and the narration of the story are contemplative, prone to posing rhetorical questions that work to build suspense. For example, as Nat watches the birds out at sea, while not overtly indicating that it's something Nat is thinking, du Maurier asks, "Where, and to what purpose?" This slightly ominous curiosity progresses to bewilderment and helplessness later, like in the following passage:
He wondered if he should go to the call box by the bus stop and ring up the police. Yet what could they do? What could anyone do?
