Tone TDEC Model
Instructions:
With your neighbor, discuss and make notes (so you may share-out) about the following things in the
model (model is on the back of this paper):
1. Highlight (with your pink highlighter) words in the thesis that answer/connect directly to the
prompt.
2. What is the definition of tone? What is the difference between tone and mood?
3. Which elements of voice did I analyze to arrive at the tone of the passage? Do you think I wrote
my theme statement before or after I analyzed these elements of voice? Explain.
4. Now look at my detail planning section. What are a few examples of diction and imagery I chose
to analyze? How did those specific examples help me to arrive at tone?
5. Looking again at the detail planning and explanation sections, why did I decide there was a shift
in tone?
6. Now, each of you on your own paper, read my TDEC carefully. Then, highlight each part of the
TDEC chunk with the appropriate colors:
- Thesis: pink
- Detail (only the quote and citation): green
- Elaboration: blue
- Commentary: yellow or orange
7. Notice that I did not name the devices I analyzed for tone in the thesis statement. Where did I
name the devices? How did I name them in a fluid way as part of the elaboration? Why was it
necessary for me to rename the devices in my commentary?
8. In my commentary, underline each usage of a tone word, and any phrases I used to indicate a
shift from one tone to another. How did I avoid blankly stating, “The tone of the passage is___”?
Why was it necessary to repeat/explain details in my commentary?
9. Now, put a box around word glue in my commentary that corresponds with key words in my
thesis. (Word glue is repeated words or synonyms for words in my thesis that show up
elsewhere in a TDEC)
Prompt: How does the author use tone to create meaning in chapter three of The Sun Also Rises?
Work: TSAR
Version : 3
Theme statement: In this passage of TSAR, Ernest Hemingway reveals the idea that people often are
driven to anger out of jealousy and judgment of others.
Thesis statement: In The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway creates a shift in tone to reveal the sudden
anger Jake feels due to jealousy and judgment of others.
Detail (pg. 27-28):
Diction:
“Pleasant”
“White”
“Grimacing”
“Angry”
“Simpering”
Imagery:
“Very hot”
“Accordion music”
“Cool breath of wind”
“Newly washed, wavy hair in the light from the door”
“Who danced big-hippily, carrying his head on one side, his eyes lifted as he danced.”
How my detail supports my T:
The connotations with the diction and imagery in the beginning of the passage (“hot night,” “accordion
music,” “pleasant”) all suggest that Jake feels relaxed and is content to be at the club. Once the group of
young men with Brett comes, the diction shifts as he describes them as having “white” faces and that
they are “grimacing.” This description gives them an unappealing appearance, revealing that Jake feels
negatively toward them, and perhaps jealous of them as well. The indignant tone escalates when he
talks about wanting to “shatter” their “simpering composures,” as he has gone from simply observing
the surroundings and feeling content with his beer and a cool breeze, to feeling ready to punch
someone or something in order to relieve his escalating anger.
E-placement: Toward the middle of chapter 3
E-context: Jake has just arrived to a hot and crowded club with Georgette, the poule. Brett then arrives
with a group of men.
E-device: diction and imagery used to create tone
TDEC:
In chapter three of The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway creates a shift in tone to reveal the sudden
anger Jake feels due to jealousy and judgment of others. Toward the middle of the chapter, Jake has
arrived at a club with a prostitute he has just met named Georgette. He has been enjoying Georgette’s
company, but he soon finds himself alone. The imagery and diction in the passage start to establish the
tone when Jake describes the club as “very hot” with “accordion music playing,” which Jake finds
“pleasant” (27). Jake casually drinks a beer and feels a “cool breath of wind” from outside (27).
However, once a group of young men arrive with Brett, Jake’s focus shifts, as he describes seeing their
“white hands, wavy hair,” and “white faces” under the light, and that they are “grimacing” and
“gesturing” (28). He admits that he is “angry,” and that he wants to hit someone or something so he can
“shatter” their “superior, simpering composure” (28). Initially, the tactile imagery of a “hot” night
creates a sense of lethargy and fatigue, and the auditory imagery of the “accordion music” contributes
to creating a relaxed tone, which is confirmed when Jake describes the night as being “pleasant,”
revealing that he is enjoying the atmosphere of the club. He describes feeling the cool wind from
outside, as he drinks a beer, a sensory respite from the heat. Then, by pointing out the men’s “white
hands” and “white faces,” he alludes to the idea that they are all the same, which suggests that he does
not respect them or view them as individuals, indicating a shift in his attitude. He further reveals his
distaste for them by describing their faces as “grimacing,” which has connotations of twisted or ugly
expressions. The tone of the passage quickly spirals into outright indignation as Jake thinks about
“shatter[ing]” their “simpering” composures, revealing that his jealousy about Brett hanging around
these men, and his judgment of their characters, has driven him from enjoying a relaxing evening to
suppressing boiling anger.