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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
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of the story is heavily didactic; in other words, its primary goal is to teach a lesson. Irving openly states his intention to instruct the reader about moral and immoral behavior, particularly concerning the topic of greed and selfishness. The reader is therefore positioned both as a listener and as a “student” to a tale in which the greedy will be punished if they fail to change their ways.
Little subtlety is required of a didactic story, and Irving articulates his intended message clearly, even identifying the audience that would most benefit from it: “Let all gripping money-brokers lay this story to heart. The truth of it is not to be doubted.” If those who work in the financial sphere don't want to meet a fate like Tom's, Irving suggests, then they ought to hearken to his admonitory tone and heed his warning about the perils of avarice. The narrator's occasional tongue-in-cheek remarks about Tom's generosity, religious piety, and devotion as a husband only serve to strengthen the overall didacticism, sprinkling it with a dose of irony to make the moral lesson more palatable. Despite the many fable-like, fantastic, and even funny elements of the story, then, the narrator nonetheless makes a claim for its overall truth, giving the story a sense of authority.
Related Themes:
