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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
Part 1
Explanation and Analysis:
Little Dog, a stand-in for Vuong himself, narrates the novel. He addresses himself to his mother, Rose, writing about his relationship with her as he grapples with their complicated mother-son dynamic. The novel begins:
Let me begin again. Dear Ma, I am writing to reach you—even if each word I put down is one word further from where you are.
Little Dog's tone in this introduction—reflective, philosophical, and laden with dual meaning and implication—continues throughout the novel. Note that in the above passage, Little Dog states that he is writing to "reach" his mother. He does not specify the particular character of the distance between them, nor the nature of the gap he intends to bridge. This intentional vagueness leaves room for interpretation, for multiplicity of meaning. Rose sits at a distance from Little Dog in many ways: physical proximity (she is a traumatized, unaffectionate mother), understanding (she cannot comprehend her son's queerness), and experience (she grew up in war-torn Vietnam, whereas Little Dog did not).
This philosophical, reflective tone branches into different veins in On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, with the narrator using abstract theory, metaphor, and allegory as scaffolding to help him make sense of his past.
Related Themes:
