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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
Part 1, Chapter 8
Explanation and Analysis:
Due to the novel’s focus on critiquing its bourgeoisie subjects, the tone is often cynical. Madame Bovary displays its cynicism by ironically juxtaposing high and low imagery, such as in the following line from Part 1, Chapter 8:
She made no protest though; piously she folded away in the chest of drawers her lovely ballgown and even her satin slippers, with their soles yellowed from the beeswax on the dance-floor. Her heart was just like that: contact with the rich had left it smeared with something that would never fade away.
Comparing Emma’s heart with a dirty slipper highlights the ridiculousness of her romanticization of the rich, such that she’s comparing something as precious as her heart with something so low and mundane. Similarly, the novel simultaneously critiques Emma’s unchecked romantic nature and the cruel disappointment of reality by continuously contrasting Emma’s dreams of an extravagant lifestyle with the dullness of the provincial town around her. The novel also develops its ironic tone through its blunt and cynical realism, such as the novel’s unhappy ending, where the least sympathetic character is rewarded with the best ending and the final line:
He [Homais] has just received the Legion of Honour.
The novel takes a cynical but comedic tone towards its many bourgeois characters, exposing their superficiality by having them act differently from their true intentions or feelings. While the novel makes serious social commentary, it also delights in how awful its characters can be, such as the playboy Rodolphe. For example, in Part 2, Chapter 13, Rodolphe drops fake tears on the letter he sends to Emma ending their affair:
Poor little woman! he thought, softening a little. She’ll think I’m made of stone; it really needs a few tears on it; but I don’t have any tears, myself; it’s not my fault. Pouring some water into a glass, Rodolphe dipped in his finger and let a big drop fall off, making a pale smudge in the ink...
Such comedic moments both entertain and critique by pointing out the absurdity of men more interested in the aesthetics of love and sexual relationships than in actually experiencing genuine love.
Related Themes:
Part 2, Chapter 13
Explanation and Analysis:
Due to the novel’s focus on critiquing its bourgeoisie subjects, the tone is often cynical. Madame Bovary displays its cynicism by ironically juxtaposing high and low imagery, such as in the following line from Part 1, Chapter 8:
She made no protest though; piously she folded away in the chest of drawers her lovely ballgown and even her satin slippers, with their soles yellowed from the beeswax on the dance-floor. Her heart was just like that: contact with the rich had left it smeared with something that would never fade away.
Comparing Emma’s heart with a dirty slipper highlights the ridiculousness of her romanticization of the rich, such that she’s comparing something as precious as her heart with something so low and mundane. Similarly, the novel simultaneously critiques Emma’s unchecked romantic nature and the cruel disappointment of reality by continuously contrasting Emma’s dreams of an extravagant lifestyle with the dullness of the provincial town around her. The novel also develops its ironic tone through its blunt and cynical realism, such as the novel’s unhappy ending, where the least sympathetic character is rewarded with the best ending and the final line:
He [Homais] has just received the Legion of Honour.
The novel takes a cynical but comedic tone towards its many bourgeois characters, exposing their superficiality by having them act differently from their true intentions or feelings. While the novel makes serious social commentary, it also delights in how awful its characters can be, such as the playboy Rodolphe. For example, in Part 2, Chapter 13, Rodolphe drops fake tears on the letter he sends to Emma ending their affair:
Poor little woman! he thought, softening a little. She’ll think I’m made of stone; it really needs a few tears on it; but I don’t have any tears, myself; it’s not my fault. Pouring some water into a glass, Rodolphe dipped in his finger and let a big drop fall off, making a pale smudge in the ink...
Such comedic moments both entertain and critique by pointing out the absurdity of men more interested in the aesthetics of love and sexual relationships than in actually experiencing genuine love.
Related Themes:
Part 3, Chapter 11
Explanation and Analysis:
Due to the novel’s focus on critiquing its bourgeoisie subjects, the tone is often cynical. Madame Bovary displays its cynicism by ironically juxtaposing high and low imagery, such as in the following line from Part 1, Chapter 8:
She made no protest though; piously she folded away in the chest of drawers her lovely ballgown and even her satin slippers, with their soles yellowed from the beeswax on the dance-floor. Her heart was just like that: contact with the rich had left it smeared with something that would never fade away.
Comparing Emma’s heart with a dirty slipper highlights the ridiculousness of her romanticization of the rich, such that she’s comparing something as precious as her heart with something so low and mundane. Similarly, the novel simultaneously critiques Emma’s unchecked romantic nature and the cruel disappointment of reality by continuously contrasting Emma’s dreams of an extravagant lifestyle with the dullness of the provincial town around her. The novel also develops its ironic tone through its blunt and cynical realism, such as the novel’s unhappy ending, where the least sympathetic character is rewarded with the best ending and the final line:
He [Homais] has just received the Legion of Honour.
The novel takes a cynical but comedic tone towards its many bourgeois characters, exposing their superficiality by having them act differently from their true intentions or feelings. While the novel makes serious social commentary, it also delights in how awful its characters can be, such as the playboy Rodolphe. For example, in Part 2, Chapter 13, Rodolphe drops fake tears on the letter he sends to Emma ending their affair:
Poor little woman! he thought, softening a little. She’ll think I’m made of stone; it really needs a few tears on it; but I don’t have any tears, myself; it’s not my fault. Pouring some water into a glass, Rodolphe dipped in his finger and let a big drop fall off, making a pale smudge in the ink...
Such comedic moments both entertain and critique by pointing out the absurdity of men more interested in the aesthetics of love and sexual relationships than in actually experiencing genuine love.
Related Themes:
