Previous
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 1984 is political and dark. Nevertheless, the seriousness of the narration varies over the course of the novel, because the intensity and hopelessness of Winston's inner monologues fluctuate with the plot. In the first book, the grim tone is balanced with vigor and hope, as Winston begins to write in his diary and believe in the possibility of resistance. In the second book, this vigor continues, especially as he gets to know Julia and fosters a connection with O'Brien. In the third book, his vigor is viciously broken down, and the tone grows especially dour. Some of what makes the final chapter so disturbing is the stark shift in tone. By the final paragraphs of the novel, Winston's state of mind—and the narrator's tone along with it—becomes ecstatic. This demonstrates O'Brien's success in brainwashing him.
The relationship between Winston's headspace and the narrator's tone is interesting. On the one hand, it is worth emphasizing that 1984 is narrated by a third-person narrator. On the other hand, this narrator is very much within Winston's head, having access to all of his thoughts. Because the narration is focused on Winston's perspective, his experiences, memories, and emotions all have direct bearing on the tone.
This begs a few related questions. Who is the narrator? What is the narrator's relationship with Winston? Is this narrator on Winston's side? It is hard to answer any of these questions conclusively, as Orwell keeps the third-person narrator completely removed and anonymous. The narrator never speaks on their own behalf and never offers personal commentary on the events of the narrative. However, given the constant presence of surveillance throughout the novel—and given that O'Brien appears able to read Winston's thoughts—the idea of a third-person entity expressing all of a protagonist's internal thoughts to an external entity feels unsettling. The reader can't avoid the feeling of reading Winston's thoughts through the narrator's boundless scrutiny.
Related Themes:
