Examples of Discussions on Tone from Student Journals

 (Tone)

 

            In Outcasts United Warren St. John uses vivid real life details, short and sharp syntax, and distraught yet hopeful diction to portray a resilient and aspiring tone. In the chronicles of the fugee’s the author gives many examples of how difficult it is for the refugee’s to fit into their new environment in America. By explaining how much persistence it takes just for an immigrant soccer team to practice on a town field the author begins to let on a tone of struggle. Though all of the refugee’s do have an extremely hard time, soon after the author explains that he also lets on how they never gave up for the main reason being; they love soccer. With specific details to the transportation from immigrant countries to America St. John’s tone of resilience shines through. Not only do these people endure a long flight with no leisure to bring all of their belongings but they also have the worry inside of them because they truly have no idea where they are going. But do they give up? No, they persevere. Also, the use of distraught yet hopeful diction is constantly being used to show the tone in the book.  The author persistently uses words such as disappointment, and let down to show that the immigrants are not getting off easy in the new world. Though this type of diction is used, the author also gives a sense of pure hope in the eyes of the refugees.

The syntax in Outcasts United also portrays the innocently hopeful tone. “Generose groggily told her boys to gather their things to get ready to be able again on the next stage of their journey. The boys laughed. Generose hadn’t understood that they had reached their final destination, that the empty where they had spent the night and where they were now gathered was where they would live. They were, in some confusing sense of the word, home.” (St. John, p.73-74) The author’s use of short sentences clearly shows the confusion but excitement to finally be where the immigrants had been so long hoping to end up; somewhere free.  Included in syntax, the author commonly uses italics to let his readers see into the mind of the people living in all of the different refugee situations. With the use of the italics the tone is depicted even more throughout the chronicles because the reader can actually see the response in the authors writing after he tells about the emotions of the children and families. (420)

 

Authors Tone

 

            In The prize Winner of Defiance Ohio by Terry Ryan, the author has a positive, sympathetic and tolerant tone. She expresses her tone about her mother’s poetry by using positive diction. “But the poem was just quick-witted enough and timely enough to hit just the right note:” (Ryan P. 19.) “Quick-witted” “timely” and “just the right note” describe the poem she submitted into the contest, while also describing the qualities her mother possesses. “Just the right note” describes her mother’s poetry, and how she crafts it just right to win the contests. While “quick-witted” and “timely” describe the qualities her mother possesses to write these poems. Her mother is always trying to support her family by submitting her poems in contests and Terry Ryan views this in a positive way. She describes this with positive diction because although her family suffers financially she enjoys seeing her mother’s hard work pay off.

                        The author also uses diction to express her sympathetic tone. “Feeling bushed after writing and mailing all those submissions, mom retired for the night.” (Ryan P. 108) Even though her mother might not win every contest that she enters, Terry can still see that she is doing the best that she can to provide for them. “Bushed” “all those” and “retired” express her sympathy for her mother and all of the work that she does. Terry Ryan also feels sympathetic for her mother because not only does she have to try to help pay bills, but she also has to put up with her alcoholic father. “Of course, after being queen for a day, the house wife would return to her wretched life presumably to use her newfound wealth in support of her husband” (Ryan P.92) The author is describing a show called queen for a day that her mother could have written to be in. She describes it as if her mother was in the show, using words like “wretched life” and “in support of her husband”. Through her diction, Terry Ryan shows that she has a general concern for her mother and that she appreciates all of the hard work that she does.

            Since terry Ryan’s father was an alcoholic, whenever she discusses him she tends to use a tolerant tone. “We had learned by this time to follow mom’s example and dissociate from the white noise of dad’s outbursts” (Ryan P. 70). By using the words “dissociate” and “white noise” she reveals that even though she puts up with her father’s behavior she has a negative view of it. (425)

 

TONE

Malcolm Gladwell’s tone in Blink is informal, intimate, and passionate. the informality of the tone comes primarily from down to earth diction, moderate syntax, . He is very intimate in getting his point across, using narration and relatable analogies. The reader can feel his passion behind his words, being very intimate, and holding many details.

The book’s tone is very informal. While the audience of the book is educated adults, the diction is not extraordinary; it is at a level that gets the point across. Same with his diction, it really isn’t significant, fairly mediocre. He does not need to be fancy with words to get his point across; he has his analogies.In fact, he probably does not want to be to formal and specific with diction, so he doesn’t restrict his audience. The narration, and use of many first person subject pronouns (which go hand in hand), bring along with them formality, making the book more like a conversation, or a lecture. The informal tone, narration in particular create a relaxed mood for the reader.

The intimacy of his tone is engendered by the narration and analogies. The narration makes the tone so intimate, it’s like he talking with you. Almost like he’s giving a lecture just to you about the subject at hand. The analogies are very easy to relate to, and once again, they make the righting more intimate. The analogies are subjected like conversational analogies; they’re directed at the audience, but they're very effective and aren’t restricted to a tiny audience. Some of the details he shares about himself, feel like details he’d discuss with his friends. At the end of the book he talks about a couple situations where he was stereotyped,mostly unconsciously , by his hair. In some of the situations he is accused of being a rapist; these are intimate topics for him to publish.

Malcolm’s tone is also very passionate. He gives lots of details, and has done thorough research. There is clearly passion behind his words; the audience feels like he wants to inform us; like he has purpose behind his writing. He is easily able to support his answers with evidence, so he is credible. His wants his audience to understand, so he fills his writing with well thought out analogies. This mix of passion, and intimacy are what make his writing so popular. The audience enjoys reading his books because they’re more like lectures from a vehement professor. (409)