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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:
The narrator’s tone in this short story is almost diagnostic, assessing the various issues that plague Paul’s psyche and featuring them to the audience. This is evidenced in the very title of the short story, “Paul’s Case,” which seems to point towards him having some sort of psychiatric or medical condition that the narrator wants to unpack.
The narrator will at times make these observations in an aside to the audience, particularly in the early passages in which Paul's character is introduced to the audience:
(His lips were continually twitching, and be had a habit of raising his eyebrows that was contemptuous and irritating to the last degree.)
The tone of these passages is that of a doctor observing patient behavior in order to better understand and treat their condition. This medicalization of Paul's behavior must be understood in the context of his queerness and alienation. The turn of the 20th century saw the increasing use of scientific terminology and methods to characterize "deviant" behavior in juxtaposition to supposedly normal behavior. The narrator applies these methods when describing Paul, othering him through the process of dissection and classification. The psychiatric dimensions of narrative tone in "Paul's Case" ultimately remind the reader periodically that Paul is not like the people around him.
Related Themes:
