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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
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
The novel’s tone is informative and motivated. As the novel starts with a Prologue that reveals both the origin and downfall of Bottom, Morrison makes clear that she is interested in providing an almost historical account of how Bottom’s community and landscape have developed over time. Telling the saga of Bottom and its people with objectivity is important because it no longer exists, and even during the years in which the town existed, it was largely ignored due to its Black population. This justifies Morrison's choice to use such an objective tone.
In her treatment of the novel’s characters and their feelings, Morrison remains objective and even unfeeling. The novel recounts many tragedies, including the death of Chicken Little, Eva’s murder of her son, Jude’s adultery, and Bottom’s eventual demise. However, the details of these events are told without much emotion. Morrison takes advantage of the stark juxtaposition between the catastrophe of these events and her detached accounts of them to allow the reader to have a more direct and autonomous experience. This strategy also emphasizes the individuality and depth of each character’s feelings, because rather than over-explaining the characters' reactions, Morrison leaves space for uncertainty. Ultimately, the novel’s informative tone provides freedom for the characters and the reader to navigate their own reactions.
Related Themes:
