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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 18: The Prince, a Prisoner
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of The Prince and the Pauper is generally soothing and conversational.
Despite the number of misfortunes Edward and Tom go through, the narrator of The Prince and the Pauper continually recounts them in a tone which assures the reader of the ultimate success of the heroes. When Edward, wandering alone and lost in the English countryside, takes shelter in a barn, his sleep is described in this way:
He merely snuggled closer to his friend [the calf], in a luxury of warm contentment, and drifted blissfully out of consciousness into a deep and dreamless sleep that was full of serenity and peace. [...] furious sheets of rain drove along the roof; but the Majesty of England slept on, undisturbed [...]
Though Edward’s situation in Chapter 18 is objectively difficult, dangerous, and frightening, the narration assures the reader that Edward has managed to find a sleep “full of serenity and peace.” He remains “undisturbed” by the rain and the world around him. Even in a pitch dark, wet barn, Edward manages to find a “luxury of warm contentment” in a small pen. The narration continually searches for the light in Edward’s dark circumstances and soothes the reader’s concerns as they arise, especially near each chapter’s end. It’s as if the narrator wants to assure the reader of one character’s safety, before moving to the perspective of the next (as the chapters alternate between Tom and Edward).
The tone of the narration is also very conversational. Though the book is set in the 16th century, only the dialogue reflects this fact. The narration is written in modern, clear language. Often the speaker refers to one of the protagonists as “our hero,” or refers back to himself (as in the introduction). At other times, the narrator offers general advice to the audience, as in the scene in Chapter 19 when Tom and the peasant woman eat together (“It does us all good to unbend sometimes”). On the whole, the narrator speaks to the reader as if the reader were a friend, or a confidant, recollecting the most alarming of plot developments in a calm, gentle voice.
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