The Secret Life of Bees
by Sue Monk Kidd
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The Secret Life of Bees: Tone 1 key example

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 Secret Life of Bees

Tone
Explanation and Analysis:

Because The Secret Life of Bees is entirely narrated in the first person, the novel’s tone is strongly aligned with Lily’s emotional state. In the early chapters, worry and guilt dominate the tone because Lily is constantly reminded that she caused her mother's death. Even though it was an accident, this mistake overshadows anything else good in her life. Her father blames her for her mother’s death, which doesn’t help.