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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
Part 1
Explanation and Analysis:
Since the narration of All the Pretty Horses closely follows the book's protagonist, John Grady, the tone largely mirrors John Grady's mindset, which is occasionally wistful and romantic but more often detached and unemotional. Moreover, since John Grady is just 16 years old, the tone of All the Pretty Horses is frequently crass or humorous. Much of the story is told through banter between John Grady and his fellow young cowboys.
Even as early as Part 1, it is easy to see the lighthearted relationship John Grady has with his companions, Rawlins and Blevins:
You aint ridin with us, said Rawlins. You’ll get us thowed in the jailhouse.
It [the horse] belongs to me, the boy said.
Son, said Rawlins, I dont give a shit who it belongs to. But it damn sure dont belong to you.
Dialogue is frequently vulgar when the boys are on their own, which speaks to the camaraderie and good-natured ribbing between the boys. But humorous, lighthearted sections are often juxtaposed with extremely somber ones, highlighting the duality of the boys’ experiences in Mexico. The narration tends to deliver the events of the plot in a matter-of-fact and detached way regardless of what is happening, which reflects how both hardship and humor defined country life out West in the mid-20th century. Great violence and lighthearted cheer were equal parts in a cowboy's life.
While the third-person narrator occasionally peppers the otherwise sparse and minimalistic novel with drawn-out descriptions of the natural landscape, they rarely reflect on characters' thoughts or feelings in an introspective way. Instead, All the Pretty Horses describes ranch life with stark realism and without much commentary. In this way, the narrative leaves it up to the reader to draw their own conclusions about the deeper implications of the book's events.
