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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
Chapter 31
Explanation and Analysis:
As a romance, the novel has a suspenseful and exciting tone: it often seems that the characters are about to either gain or lose everything. But throughout all of this, the novel also has a playful and ironic tone. Dumas takes a zoomed-out perspective so that the reader can see the amusing shortcomings of all the characters. For example, in Chapter 31, the musketeers win a duel against Lord de Winter and several of his men. Lord de Winter is impressed and offers them money from one of the men they have killed. D'Artagnan and Athos debate what the honorable thing to do with the money would be:
“Well, then,” said d’Artagnan, “let’s give the money to the servants, as Lord de Winter told me to do.”
“I’m willing,” said Athos, “but we’ll give it to the English servants, not to ours.” He threw the purse to the coachman and called out, “That’s for you and your comrades.”
This magnanimous gesture by a man who had no money at all made a great impression even on Porthos. Lord de Winter and his friend later reported it everywhere they went, and it was admired by everyone except Grimaud, Mousqueton, Planchet, and Bazin.
Athos is appalled that d'Artagnan would keep the money. This would be dishonorable, he argues. He eventually agrees that it would be honorable to give the money to the servants of the men they have just bested. Dumas writes that everyone finds this decision commendable—except for the musketeers' servants, who have just lost out on a sizable chunk of money. It is ironic that the musketeers think of Athos's gesture as so admirable because, if he truly has no money, he probably ought to pay his own servant before paying someone else's. The moment is more comical than anything. Dumas is not too hard on the musketeers, but he does use irony in this and other moments to lightly prod the limits of their prized sense of "honor."
Related Themes:
