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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
Part 1, Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis:
Though the novel ends on a cautiously optimistic note, the overall tone of the novel is bitter and misanthropic, reflecting Raskolnikov’s own nihilistic worldview and disturbed mental state. This deep sense of cynicism saturates much of the novel and is particularly pronounced in Raskolnikov’s internal monologue. After Raskolnikov leaves the apartment of pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna, for example, his thoughts express his deep feelings of disgust for everything and everyone around him:
“Oh, God, how loathsome this all is! And can it be, can it be that I…no, it’s nonsense, it’s absurd!” he added resolutely. “Could such horror really come into my head? But then, what filth my heart is capable of!…Above all, filthy, nasty, vile, vile!…And for the whole month I…” But neither words nor exclamations could express his agitation. The feeling of boundless loathing that had begun to oppress and sicken his heart while he was still only on his way to the old woman now reached such proportions and became so clearly manifest that he did not know where to flee from his anguish.
Raskolnikov has visited the elderly pawnbroker in order to run a “trial” of his ultimate plan to kill and rob her. As he leaves her apartment, he is struck by how “loathsome” and “absurd” his plans are, wondering how “such horror” had ever occurred to him. Though he despises the old woman, whom he describes as a “louse” whose death would benefit many, he is also disgusted by himself. The “boundless loathing” and “agitation” that he feels here follow him throughout much of the novel, reflecting his deeply cynical state of mind and contributing to the misanthropic tone of the novel at large.
