Identifying Tone
In order to correctly identify the theme of the work, the reader must correctly identify the tone as well as
any tone shifts that occur in the work. Tone is the author’s, narrator’s, or character’s attitude toward an
image, an event, a subject or a character. Remember that unless the author informs the reader that he /
she and the narrator are the same (or unless the work is an autobiography), the author and narrator are
separate and must be analyzed as such. First person point of view does not mean the author and narrator
are the same individual. Many times the author’s attitude toward a subject is different than the narrator’s.
The reader must look at how the author characterizes the character to determine if they share the same
tone. Most of the time, the tone can be identified through diction (and its context), imagery, details,
syntax, and dialogue.
Tone words – similar to labeling mood, use an adjective to label the tone:
allusive
alluring
apologetic
arrogant
audacious
petty
sarcastic
confident
depressing
effusive
hostile
inflammatory
ironic
lugubrious
mocking
ominous
somber
foreboding
frightening
frivolous
funereal
gleeful
restrained
candid
contemptuous
detached
elegiac
humorous
informative
irreverent
malevolent
moralistic
satiric
sympathetic
oppressive
outrageous
patronizing
peaceful
proud
benevolent
compassionate
contentious
disdainful
fanciful
impartial
insipid
irritating
melancholic
nostalgic
scornful
urgent
bitter
pleasant
poignant
pretentious
giddy
pitiful
condescending
cynical
indolent
flippant
indignant
insolent
joyful
melodramatic
objective
sentimental
vibrant