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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
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of the omniscient narrator in "To Build a Fire" is impersonal and detached, which is typical of Naturalist literature. The narrator's lack of emotion reflects the indifference of the natural world toward humankind—like the dog, the narrator is not particularly interested in the man's plight and maintains a dispassionate attitude toward him throughout the story.
The tone of the story is also occasionally judgmental, with the narrator declaring early on what the man's fatal flaw is:
The trouble with him was that he was without imagination. He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significances.
Related Themes:
