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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
Key Examples in The Daughters of the Late Colonel
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
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.
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