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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 35 – La Mazzolata
Explanation and Analysis:
Grave though the subject matter may be for the characters in The Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas is not particularly self-serious throughout his novel and conveys the action with a tone of light-hearted ease. This is an adventure novel and, though it is beautifully written, it is not some highly technical, experimental, and potentially pretentious work of literary high art—it is written to be accessible in tone (and style) to the lay reader. Above all, Dumas is an entertainer, and his tone reflects his eagerness to draw the reader into his story and keep them enthralled throughout the entire thing. This much is evident in his shorter chapters, particularly where he sets his sights on French society—as in Chapter 53, when he playfully satirizes the opera-going Parisian elite:
The curtain went up, as usual, on an almost empty house. It is fashionable among Parisians to arrive at the theatre when the show has begun, with the result that the first act is spent, by those members of the audience who have arrived, not in watching or listening to the play, but in watching the entry of those spectators who are arriving, so that nothing can be heard except the sound of doors banging and voices in conversation.
At times, however, the tone shifts to be quite grave, in keeping with the occasionally quite violent turns in the narrative—for example, in Chapter 35, when the Count witnesses an execution:
The two assistants had carried the condemned man on to the scaffold and there, despite his efforts, his bites and his cries, they had forced him to his knees. Meanwhile the executioner had taken up his position on one side and raised the mace. Then, on a sign, the two assistants stepped aside. The prisoner wanted to get to his feet but, before he had time to do so, the club struck him on the left temple.
Above all, Dumas's tone in The Count of Monte Cristo is versatile—a book of this scope and scale cannot be written in one voice alone, and Dumas shifts his tone to fit with the subject matter at hand and to convey his characters' dispositions towards their adventures.
Related Themes:
Chapter 53 – Robert Le Diable
Explanation and Analysis:
Grave though the subject matter may be for the characters in The Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas is not particularly self-serious throughout his novel and conveys the action with a tone of light-hearted ease. This is an adventure novel and, though it is beautifully written, it is not some highly technical, experimental, and potentially pretentious work of literary high art—it is written to be accessible in tone (and style) to the lay reader. Above all, Dumas is an entertainer, and his tone reflects his eagerness to draw the reader into his story and keep them enthralled throughout the entire thing. This much is evident in his shorter chapters, particularly where he sets his sights on French society—as in Chapter 53, when he playfully satirizes the opera-going Parisian elite:
The curtain went up, as usual, on an almost empty house. It is fashionable among Parisians to arrive at the theatre when the show has begun, with the result that the first act is spent, by those members of the audience who have arrived, not in watching or listening to the play, but in watching the entry of those spectators who are arriving, so that nothing can be heard except the sound of doors banging and voices in conversation.
At times, however, the tone shifts to be quite grave, in keeping with the occasionally quite violent turns in the narrative—for example, in Chapter 35, when the Count witnesses an execution:
The two assistants had carried the condemned man on to the scaffold and there, despite his efforts, his bites and his cries, they had forced him to his knees. Meanwhile the executioner had taken up his position on one side and raised the mace. Then, on a sign, the two assistants stepped aside. The prisoner wanted to get to his feet but, before he had time to do so, the club struck him on the left temple.
Above all, Dumas's tone in The Count of Monte Cristo is versatile—a book of this scope and scale cannot be written in one voice alone, and Dumas shifts his tone to fit with the subject matter at hand and to convey his characters' dispositions towards their adventures.
Related Themes:
