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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 7
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of the book is almost entirely dependent on Janie's own tone. The story is told by Janie, based on the book's framing. She tells the story after all the events have taken place, and therefore she tells the story with a mature, confident, even stony tone. Janie learns, through her three marriages and her trials and travails throughout the book, how to advocate for herself and defend her dignity. Most of the story is inflected with that tone: Janie's self-advocacy. At one point, Janie tells of Jody's insistence on telling her what to wear:
Stop mixin' up mah doings wid mah looks, Jody. When you get through tellin' me how tuh cut uh plug uh tobacco, then you kin tell me whether mah behind is on straight or not.
This is a characteristic example of the tone of Janie's speech, but also of the story she tells in general. Janie's tone suggests that she feels she deserves better and has been trying to defend herself through the story. This particular quotation is also rather funny, which is another important part of Janie's tone. Her sense of humor persists throughout the book.
Janie's self-advocacy comes from a self-confidence which is present throughout the book but grows continuously. When she accuses Joe Starks of hardly caring about her, she is implying confidently that she is someone who ought to be known. This tone of self-confidence is clear:
You done lived wid me for twenty years and you don't half know me atall. And you could have but you was so busy worshippin' de works of yo' own hands, and cuffin' folks around in their minds till you didn't see uh whole heap uh things yuh could have.
Outside of Janie's tone, many parts of the story are told by a narrator who seems to supply extra information to Janie's story. This narrator is unfailingly objective. Their tone, if they can be said to have one at all, is of a righteous detachment from the many circumstances of Janie's story. This tonelessness of the narrator allows Janie's strong, confident tone to be yet more effective.
Related Themes:
Chapter 8
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of the book is almost entirely dependent on Janie's own tone. The story is told by Janie, based on the book's framing. She tells the story after all the events have taken place, and therefore she tells the story with a mature, confident, even stony tone. Janie learns, through her three marriages and her trials and travails throughout the book, how to advocate for herself and defend her dignity. Most of the story is inflected with that tone: Janie's self-advocacy. At one point, Janie tells of Jody's insistence on telling her what to wear:
Stop mixin' up mah doings wid mah looks, Jody. When you get through tellin' me how tuh cut uh plug uh tobacco, then you kin tell me whether mah behind is on straight or not.
This is a characteristic example of the tone of Janie's speech, but also of the story she tells in general. Janie's tone suggests that she feels she deserves better and has been trying to defend herself through the story. This particular quotation is also rather funny, which is another important part of Janie's tone. Her sense of humor persists throughout the book.
Janie's self-advocacy comes from a self-confidence which is present throughout the book but grows continuously. When she accuses Joe Starks of hardly caring about her, she is implying confidently that she is someone who ought to be known. This tone of self-confidence is clear:
You done lived wid me for twenty years and you don't half know me atall. And you could have but you was so busy worshippin' de works of yo' own hands, and cuffin' folks around in their minds till you didn't see uh whole heap uh things yuh could have.
Outside of Janie's tone, many parts of the story are told by a narrator who seems to supply extra information to Janie's story. This narrator is unfailingly objective. Their tone, if they can be said to have one at all, is of a righteous detachment from the many circumstances of Janie's story. This tonelessness of the narrator allows Janie's strong, confident tone to be yet more effective.
Related Themes:
