Previous
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
Book 2, Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis:
Bradford situates himself as a reliable narrator of the events affecting himself and his community. To achieve this goal in his writing, Bradford clearly works to strike an even, informative tone whilst relating the details of historical events to readers. For the most part, Bradford achieves his desired effect, though readers would be remiss to confuse an informative tone for objective, bias-free nonfiction.
Bradford deviates from his informative tone with higher frequency when it comes to matters of religion. His personal spiritual beliefs, coupled with the religious motivations of the colony's founding, pushes Bradford's tone in the direction of self-righteousness. Believing, as he does, in God's divine approval of his congregation and their actions, Bradford often fails to interrogate himself or his people's motivations sufficiently. This emerges most prominently in the colonists' attitude towards indigenous people, whom they view as "savage" and uncivilized nations that require saving. In a letter included in Book 2, Chapter 5, James Sherley provides an excellent example of this condescending tone, which Bradford shares:
Still we have many others,—I hope the majority, —very honest Christian men, whose intent I am convinced, is wholly for the glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the propagation of His gospel, and the hope of gaining these poor savages to the knowledge of God.
Sherley and Bradford both view indigenous people as "poor savages" who can only achieve redemption through the efforts of European Christian evangelists. This condescending aspect of Bradford's tone calls into question his portrayal of indigenous people throughout the text, particularly regarding conflict and violence.
Related Themes:
