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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
Chapter 6
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of The Portrait of a Lady is a sympathetic one. This is true for the first two-thirds of the novel, when the narrator is in more of a distanced position looking in on the lives of the characters. The sympathetic tone also comes through in a different way when the narrator essentially merges with Isabel’s inner thoughts and feelings.
The following passage—in which the narrator is still introducing readers to Isabel in Chapter 6—shows the narrator speaking candidly and critically about Isabel’s stubbornness without being overly judgmental:
It may be affirmed without delay that Isabel was probably very liable to the sin of self-esteem; she often surveyed with complacency the field of her own nature; she was in the habit of taking for granted, on scanty evidence, that she was right; she treated herself to occasions of homage. Meanwhile her errors and delusions were frequently such as a biographer interested in preserving the dignity of his subject must shrink from specifying. Her thoughts were a tangle of vague outlines which had never been corrected by the judgement of people speaking with authority.
Related Themes:
Chapter 55
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of The Portrait of a Lady is a sympathetic one. This is true for the first two-thirds of the novel, when the narrator is in more of a distanced position looking in on the lives of the characters. The sympathetic tone also comes through in a different way when the narrator essentially merges with Isabel’s inner thoughts and feelings.
The following passage—in which the narrator is still introducing readers to Isabel in Chapter 6—shows the narrator speaking candidly and critically about Isabel’s stubbornness without being overly judgmental:
Unlock with LitCharts A+It may be affirmed without delay that Isabel was probably very liable to the sin of self-esteem; she often surveyed with complacency the field of her own nature; she was in the habit of taking for granted, on scanty evidence, that she was right; she treated herself to occasions of homage. Meanwhile her errors and delusions were frequently such as a biographer interested in preserving the dignity of his subject must shrink from specifying. Her thoughts were a tangle of vague outlines which had never been corrected by the judgement of people speaking with authority.
Related Themes:
