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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
Book 1: A Public Announcement
Explanation and Analysis:
Saleem Sinai, the narrator of Midnight's Children, imposes his unique tone on every aspect of the story, continuously making his narrative presence known to readers. Hies tone is speculative, satirical, and reminiscent, with Saleem quite literally living in the past and grating against interruptions from the present.
In the following passage from Book 1, Section 5—A Public Annoucement, Saleem interrupts himself, noting that his wife, Padma, has become frustrated with his tendency toward breaking the fourth wall (the imaginary wall that separates the book's characters from the reader).
. . . I must interrupt myself. I wasn’t going to today, because Padma has started getting irritated whenever my narration becomes self-conscious, whenever, like an incompetent puppeteer, I reveal the hands holding the strings; but I simply must register a protest.”
This bit of narration is interesting: in registering his wife's complaint, Saleem addresses the same concern that the reader might have. This excerpt follows several time contortions in the narrative, wherein Saleem uses ellipses to discuss future events before they happen. These more speculative, temporally unstable moments in tone are balanced by Saleem addressing the instability in his narration.
Rushdie's use of tone in the novel is a means of critiquing narrative convention. Through Saleem, Rushdie experiments with the idea that a novel can comment on its own writing process, pulling back the curtain to reveal the mechanics. Saleem's own speculative, introspective tone contributes to this effect.
Related Themes:
