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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
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis:
Narration of The Bluest Eye is a joint venture, shared between an unnamed narrator (through whom Morrison herself appears to speak) and Claudia. With a few exceptions, tone remains consistent throughout the novel regardless of who narrates a given chapter or section. Morrison establishes a tone of contemplation and deep reflection that both of her narrators share.
The Bluest Eye obtains its contemplative tone from the plethora of introspective passages Morrison includes, each adding psychoanalytical or sociological context to the scenes they describe. In one such passage from Chapter 1, Claudia meditates on her impulse to destroy White baby dolls:
But the dismembering of dolls was not the true horror. The truly horrifying thing was the transference of the same impulses to little white girls. The indifference with which I could have axed them was shaken only by my desire to do so. To discover what eluded me: the secret of the magic they weaved on others.
In the process of self-reflection, Claudia concludes that her destructive impulses stemmed from a real anger and frustration with "little white girls," whose societal privilege over Black girls Claudia does not understand. As a narrator, Claudia goes beyond simply describing her actions to readers—she dismantles them, picking her motivations and frustrations apart the way she longs to pick apart "the secret" of young White girls' power. Both Claudia and the unnamed narrator speak with this tone, deconstructing their thoughts even as they think them.
Related Themes:
