In "The Daughters of the Late Colonel," the tone set by the third-person omniscient narrator initially conveys a sense of heaviness and constraint. As in many of Mansfield’s stories, the narrator’s frustrated attitude about the limitations forced onto women is clear from the outset. Jug and Constance's trapped existence within the confines of their late father's domineering influence seems exaggeratedly prison-like and unpleasant. This tone presses upon the reader the full weight of the societal and familial expectations that bind them. Mansfield’s language is laden with the gravity of the Pinner sisters' situation. The narrative struggles to breathe freely in the absence of their father, just as Jug and Con do.
As the narrative progresses, the tone subtly shifts back and forth, moving towards one of tentative hope and then reverting to hopelessness again and again. The narrator’s tone always reflects how the sisters feel, and so it begins to occasionally incorporate their cautious optimism. The remote possibility of liberation from their father's shadow begins to show itself, but it is repeatedly quashed by overwhelming feelings of guilt and obligation. Even though he’s gone, the Colonel still totally controls the sister’s stories, and they feel dependent on him. Jug and Constance remain stuck in a childlike state, their mentalities and actions dictated by years of oppressive parenting. By the end, the narrator begins to seem frustrated by their inability to break free and their intensely childish emotional responses to events; they're scared of disruptions, whether these come from the maid or the organ-grinder in the street. The narrative voice fluctuates as the sisters swing between a desire to change their lives and a need to remain within safe routines. This sense of frustration points to the struggle between the pull of ingrained habits and the possibility of freedom and development.
