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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 Victor Hugo's Les Misérables is thorough and sympathetic due to the narrator's judgmental characterizations and the story's connection to God. The narrator is relentless in their endeavor to analyze the characters and their actions. The tone is also thorough in how the narrator injects their opinion about French laws, history, and society into every volume. The narrator has very strong beliefs about what is right and wrong, much like Javert, but is willing to accept the nuances in the characters.
Through these nuances, the narrator displays sympathy. Even the villains of the story are treated with some sensitivity, or at least understanding. The narrator acknowledges that everybody in this world, evil or good or somewhere in between, is fighting for something or someone. Javert acts upon his belief in right and wrong, while Thenardier believes that he deserves the riches he steals. Jean Valjean redeems himself despite the wrongs in his past, while Cosette remains a pure soul, devoted to those she loves.
Finally, the tone of the story is all-knowing, as the digressions and philosophical input demonstrate the author’s omniscience. The past tense also contributes to this tone of omniscience, as if the author already knows what is going to happen and is simply relaying the story to the reader.
Related Themes:
