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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
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of “The Swimmer” is simultaneously ironic and earnest. The ironic tone comes across in the way that Cheever highlights Neddy’s haughtiness and lack of self-awareness as he hops from pool to pool, trying to swim his way home through his suburban community. Cheever’s tongue-in-cheek tone is apparent in the following passage, which comes as Neddy arrives at the pool belonging to his former mistress, Shirley Adams:
[Shirley] was there, her hair the color of brass, but her figure, at the edge of the lighted, cerulean water, excited in him no profound memories. It had been, he thought, a light-hearted affair, although she had wept when he broke it off. She seemed confused to see him and he wondered if she was still wounded. Would she, God forbid, weep again?
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