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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
Part 3
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of “The Wife of His Youth” switches from practical to philosophical over the course of the story. The first part of the story is centered on the narrator describing in direct language the history and background of the mixed-race Blue Veins Society, as well as detailing Mr. Ryder’s simple daily life and very practical decision to propose to Molly Dixon at the forthcoming Blue Veins ball. Overall, the tone of this part of the story is very controlled and even-tempered.
The tone switches in the final part of the story as the narrator essentially disappears and Mr. Ryder takes over, offering a long monologue at the Blue Veins ball. His speech is both poetic and philosophical as he describes the “hypothetical” situation of Eliza Jane’s husband deciding whether or not to reveal his past marriage to her:
Suppose that he was young, and she much older than he; that he was light, and she was black; that their marriage was a slave marriage, and legally binding only if they chose to make it so after the war. Suppose, too, that he made his way to the North, as some of us have done, and there, where he had larger opportunities, had improved them, and had in the course of all these years grown to be as different from the ignorant boy who ran away from fear of slavery as the day is from the night.
The philosophical tone of this speech comes across in the way that Mr. Ryder frames his scenario as a hypothetical situation for his listeners, as well as in the repetition of his invitation for them to “suppose” these facts. There is also an emotional and poetic tone in this passage, as evident in his description of himself as being as “different from the ignorant boy who ran away from fear of slavery as the day is from the night.”
Related Themes:
