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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 narrator's tone in Noli Me Tangere is one of the most important characteristics of the novel. Its third-person narrator has a distinct voice and often takes the form of an extra character, supplying thoughts and opinions. The narrator acts as a sort of guide for the reader through the world of San Diego and the people there and is a clear advocate of the Philippines and its independence.This creates a mocking, ironic tone in much of the book as Rizal aims to satirize the power structures in the Philippines.
The novel is full of small asides in which the narrator gives their opinion on a character or on some other feature of the plot. There are a variety of coy jokes about the Spanish, and almost every person in power is described ironically. Captain Tiago, for instance, while well-respected by many of the townsfolk and other characters in the book, is perceived by the narrator as silly, vain, and confused about religion, which suffuses almost all of his scenes with irony.
However, the narrator is also widely allusive, making reference to many pieces of literature from both Filipino and European traditions. These allusions are often quite obscure and literary; the narrator, like Rizal and Ibarra, seems to have studied literature extensively at some prestigious university. This creates a much grander and more erudite tone in the text.
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