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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 in The Things They Carried is conversational, honest, and direct. As narrator, O'Brien addresses the reader intimately and seriously, and he looks back on his experiences in a straightforward way. He manages to respect his memories and especially the characters within them without being sentimental, wistful, or melancholy. It is clear that he sees war as a terrible thing, and he neither masks its roughness nor glorifies its intensity. Confronting his role in the war head-on, the narrator sets out to share his understanding of what the Vietnam War meant and what storytelling means.
While the collection consistently features a single, stable narrator, O'Brien nevertheless lets other narrators take over. Often making sure to identify who he originally heard a certain story from, he occasionally gives way to the voices of these men. At certain points, the reader hears a story partly from Jimmy Cross, Mitchell Sanders, Rat Kiley, and Norman Bowker in the form of dialogue or intimate narration of their thoughts. Occasionally, O'Brien even includes the soldiers' commentary on each other's stories and styles of storytelling. Through this inclusive narratorial approach, O'Brien honors his friends and fellow soldiers. Although he is Alpha Company's main storyteller, he respects the unique voices and vantage points of the other members. In a way, The Things They Carried is narrated from the whole company, and the tone is shaped by the collection of their shared voices.
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