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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 play is consistently tense and foreboding. There’s no narrator, but the characters’ dialogue and Williams’s stage directions reflect the nasty simmering of conflict and resentment that bubbles behind every conversation.
The play thinks carefully about the changes that the World War II has brought to New Orleans, and about how the shifts in the American economy and its postwar gender roles caused unease in every sector of society. Because of this, the play’s overall attitude is critical of the Old South's traditions, but Williams also highlights issues with the rise of industrialization and the working class in the United States. His blunt, brutish depiction of characters like Mitch and Stanley is a commentary on the South’s cultural transition as a complex issue full of moral gray areas.
Modernity isn’t always portrayed in an entirely favorite light, either, as Stanley’s character demonstrates. Williams doesn’t shy away from either the positive or negative aspects of Blanche’s changing world. The play grieves the loss of the old South of Blanche’s memories while also emphasizing that clinging to the past can be destructive.
The play also gives the audience a chance to see alternative versions of the same history through the perspectives of Blanche, Stella, and Stanley. This makes the tone feel somewhat detached and journalistic at times, as characters lay themselves bare on stage. Blanche's recollections are tragic and nostalgic, filled with her grief for Belle Reve and her old, genteel life. She's haunted by the music of her past, which makes the tone of the play seem almost supernatural when it swells over her speech. In contrast, Stella's memories are vague and practical. She remembers her past but doesn’t live in it. Rather than making her life into a museum for Belle Reve, Stella adapts to her new reality in order to maintain stability and tend to her marriage. Stanley's perspective is comparatively harsh and unromantic, as his perspective is intended to show the pragmatic stripping-away of useless tradition that he and men like him espouse.
The brief moment of hope at the beginning of the play makes the heartbreak at its end seem even more tragic. When the audience first meets Blanche, the story seems to be sympathetic to her. However, as the plot progresses, this hope dissipates. The end of the play suggests that in the new world of the U.S. in the mid-20th century, traditions—and people—who can’t adapt have no way to survive.
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