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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
Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of the novel is poised and playful. Large portions of the narrative are explanatory, doing the world-building work that sci-fi novels like The Dispossessed rely on. In spite of the expository language, however, the narrative always grounds its explanations in human sentiment and tells readers how people respond to events rather than just describing the events themselves. This focus on people maintains an objective tone while imbuing the writing with the emotional tenor of what it describes, allowing the reader to feel it second-hand:
The population of the city was visibly thinned, as several thousands had volunteered or been posted to emergency farm work. But mutual trust allayed depression or anxiety. “We’ll see each other through,” they said, serenely. And great impulses of vitality ran just under the surface. When the wells in the northern suburbs failed, temporary mains from other districts were laid by volunteers working in their free time, skilled and unskilled, adults and adolescents, and the job was done in thirty hours.
The objective tone of the narration allows for the great variety of moods that are contained within the sprawling interplanetary story. Shevek himself is more reliable. The narration frequently takes on a dramatic tone to reflect the profundity with which Shevek experiences the world, such as when he encounters his mother as an adult:
She maintained an expression of unconcern, even of humor. There was no question of Shevek’s maintaining anything. He had no strength to move, but he shrank away from her in unconcealed fear, as if she were not his mother, but his death. If she noticed this weak movement, she gave no sign.
Shevek is prone to bouts of despondency and moments of elation, and the assertive narration conveys this depth of feeling without seeming clichéd.
Related Themes:
Chapter 8
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of the novel is poised and playful. Large portions of the narrative are explanatory, doing the world-building work that sci-fi novels like The Dispossessed rely on. In spite of the expository language, however, the narrative always grounds its explanations in human sentiment and tells readers how people respond to events rather than just describing the events themselves. This focus on people maintains an objective tone while imbuing the writing with the emotional tenor of what it describes, allowing the reader to feel it second-hand:
The population of the city was visibly thinned, as several thousands had volunteered or been posted to emergency farm work. But mutual trust allayed depression or anxiety. “We’ll see each other through,” they said, serenely. And great impulses of vitality ran just under the surface. When the wells in the northern suburbs failed, temporary mains from other districts were laid by volunteers working in their free time, skilled and unskilled, adults and adolescents, and the job was done in thirty hours.
The objective tone of the narration allows for the great variety of moods that are contained within the sprawling interplanetary story. Shevek himself is more reliable. The narration frequently takes on a dramatic tone to reflect the profundity with which Shevek experiences the world, such as when he encounters his mother as an adult:
She maintained an expression of unconcern, even of humor. There was no question of Shevek’s maintaining anything. He had no strength to move, but he shrank away from her in unconcealed fear, as if she were not his mother, but his death. If she noticed this weak movement, she gave no sign.
Shevek is prone to bouts of despondency and moments of elation, and the assertive narration conveys this depth of feeling without seeming clichéd.
Related Themes:
