Chapter 7: Tone, Point of View, and allusions

CHAPTER 7: TONE, POINT OF VIEW, AND ALLUSIONS

CHAPTER 7: TONE, POINT OF VIEW, AND ALLUSIONSIn Chapter 7 several elements you have studied thus far come together. In this second chapter dealing with the importance of language, you will enhance and deepen your understanding of what you read by studying some rather sophisticated elements.

CHAPTER 7: TONE, POINT OF VIEW, AND ALLUSIONS

Objectives:

Points of viewToneAllusionsSpecial effects

POINT OF VIEW The writer’s attitude toward or position on a

subject—his or her stance.Topic

purpose

Mode of discourse

Diction (word choice)

Tone

Point of view

GO TO PRACTICE EX. 1 ON P. 240Read this paragraph by Harvard biologist Edwin O. Wilson, in which he discusses the Incas’ contributions to the world’s food supply. (Wilson is the authorof “The Power of Story,” which was a practice exercise in Chapter 6.) As you read it, circle the connotative words. Now fill in the missing elements inthe circle.

GO TO PRACTICE EX. 1 ON P. 240From the mostly unwritten archives of native peoples has come a wealth of information about wild and semicultivated crops. It is a remarkable fact that with a single exception, the macadamia nut of Australia, every one of the fruits and nuts used in western countries was grown first by indigenous peoples. The Incas were arguably the all-time champions in creating a reservoir of diverse crops. Without the benefit of wheels, money, iron, or written script, these Andean people evolved a sophisticated agriculture based on almost as many plant species as used by all the farmers of Europe and Asia combined. Their abounding crops, tilled on the cool upland slopes and plateaus, proved especially suited for temperate climates. From the Incas have come lima beans, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes. But many other species and strains, including a hundred varieties of potatoes, are still confined to the Andes. The Spanish conquerors learned to use a few of the potatoes, but they missed many other representatives of a vast array of cultivated tuberous vegetables, including some that are more productive and savory than the favored crops. The names are likely to

GO TO PRACTICE EX. 1 ON P. 240be unfamiliar: achira, ahipa, arracacha, maca, mashua, mauka, oca, ulloco, and yacon. One, maca, is on the verge of extinction, limited to 10 hectares in the highest plateau region of Peru and Bolivia. Its swollen roots, resembling brown radishes and rich in sugar and starch, have a sweet, tangy flavor and are considered a delicacy by the handful of people still privileged to consume them.

Edwin O. Wilson, The Diversity of Life

GO TO PRACTICE EX. 1 ON P. 240From the mostly unwritten archives of native peoples has come a wealth of information about wild and semicultivated crops. It is a remarkable fact that with a single exception, the macadamia nut of Australia, every one of the fruits and nuts used in western countries was grown first by indigenous peoples. The Incas were arguably the all-time champions in creating a reservoir of diverse crops. Without the benefit of wheels, money, iron, or written script, these Andean people evolved a sophisticated agriculture based on almost as many plant species as used by all the farmers of Europe and Asia combined. Their abounding crops, tilled on the cool upland slopes and plateaus, proved especially suited for temperate climates. From the Incas have come lima beans, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes. But many other species and strains, including a hundred varieties of potatoes, are still confined to the Andes. The Spanish conquerors learned to use a few of the potatoes, but they missed many other representatives of a vast array of cultivated tuberous vegetables, including some that are more productive and savory than the favored crops. The names are likely to

GO TO PRACTICE EX. 1 ON P. 240be unfamiliar: achira, ahipa, arracacha, maca, mashua, mauka, oca, ulloco, and yacon. One, maca, is on the verge of extinction, limited to 10 hectares in the highest plateau region of Peru and Bolivia. Its swollen roots, resembling brown radishes and rich in sugar and starch, have a sweet, tangy flavor and are considered a delicacy by the handful of people still privileged to consume them.

Edwin O. Wilson, The Diversity of Life

AN OVERVIEW OF TONEthe feeling, mood, or emotional quality of a piece of writing—hard to detect on paper or easily understood if not clearly “seen.”

the reader must infer the tone from the writer’s words and their connotative values, from the details included, from the rhythms and cadences of the sentence structure, and from the writer’s attitude toward the subject.

AN OVERVIEW OF TONECommon varieties of toneinformative, impartial, instructiveapproving, admiring, laudatorysincere, honest, candidserious, somber, gravephilosophical, reflective, pensiveeager, fervent, passionate, zealousquestioning, skeptical, cynicalamusing, funny, humoroussorrowful, mournful, lamentingnostalgic, wistful, melancholy

critical

complaining

harsh

provocative

AN OVERVIEW OF TONETone in textbookswritten in objective and impartial toneto convey factual information

Tone in Fictiondependent on the characters and their relation to the environment they live in and to the other characters

AN OVERVIEW OF TONE Go to p. 243 Read the following questions. Then, read the passage.

AN OVERVIEW OF TONENow answer these questions:1. What is the connotation of the word “scalping” and what is itsorigin?

AN OVERVIEW OF TONENow answer these questions:1. The word is negative; it probably stems from a barbaricform of torture.

AN OVERVIEW OF TONENow answer these questions:2. What is McConnell and Brue’s point of view toward scalping?

AN OVERVIEW OF TONENow answer these questions:2. They have no objections to the practice.

AN OVERVIEW OF TONENow answer these questions:3. In the second paragraph, why do the authors put quotation marks around “ripping off” and “exorbitant”?

AN OVERVIEW OF TONENow answer these questions:3. These words describe scalping in a negative way, but the quotation marks tell us that the writers don’t share this opinion.

AN OVERVIEW OF TONENow answer these questions:4. Locate and identify the two primary reasons that the writers think that scalping has been given a bum rap.

AN OVERVIEW OF TONENow answer these questions:4. The transaction is voluntary; both parties benefit.

AN OVERVIEW OF TONENow answer these questions:5. How would you describe the tone of the passage?

AN OVERVIEW OF TONENow answer these questions:5. informative, but also positive and favorable; economically, the system makes sense.

TONE IN NONFICTION PROSEIn the next few pages, 244-248, you will read nonfiction passages, moving from straightforward prose to more complex examples.Create the graphic organizer for each passage.

1


2 A Romantic Entanglement


3 Skateboarders


4 Lincoln


5 Addis Ababa

AN OVERVIEW OF TONESentimentalityan umbrella word describing a tone that appeals to one’s tender emotions

genuine or fake depending on the writer’s motive and

care in writing

effective and/or affective

AN OVERVIEW OF TONESentimentality

It can appeal to our tender and compassionate instincts and win us over.

What’s wrong with sentimentality?A sentimental feeling may become counterfeit and full of clichés which then becomes offensive or ludicrous.

Writing about daily life can be very difficult.

Read the passage found on p. 249.

AN OVERVIEW OF TONESentimentality

Practice Exercise 2, pp. 249-253








TONE AND MOOD IN FICTIONIn literature, tone is conveyed not only by the writer’s manner of expression but also by the thoughts and actions of the characters, by their relation to the other characters and to their environment, by figurative language, and by descriptions of the world the characters inhabit, whether natural or artificial.

TONE AND MOOD IN FICTIONUnlike nonfiction, literature conveys mood—the atmosphere or emotional state that all these things evoke.Read the paragraph at the bottom of p. 253-254. Then, the explanation on p. 254.Probably all of us can identify with Callie’s feelings about the Charm Bracelets. All high schools have such groups, the “rulers” of the school. How would you characterize Callie’s tone in this passage? She is clearly scornful and resentful of their social standing, their shallowness, their arrogance, their refusal to study, the fact that they know that they don’t need to study. Even at a young age, she is aware of her own role in life—her need to write, to accomplish something. So we might say that her tone toward the end of the passage is one of resignation to her fate. The tone is complicated and not easily reduced to a single feeling.

GO TO PRACTICE EXERCISE 3Answer the questions of each passage.A. How would you describe the mood of this excerpt? What is the minister feeling?

GO TO PRACTICE EXERCISE 3Answer the questions of each passage.A.How would you describe the mood of this excerpt? What is the minister feeling?The mood is serene and cheerful. The scene elates him; the simple pleasure of watching his family delights him.

GO TO PRACTICE EXERCISE 3Answer the questions of each passage.B. Explain what Amir is feeling as he surveys the landscape of his native Afghanistan and ponders his family.

GO TO PRACTICE EXERCISE 3Answer the questions of each passage.B. Explain what Amir is feeling as he surveys the landscape of his native Afghanistan and ponders his family. Amir’s thoughts suggest a welter of emotions—pride, a sense of family history and his place in it, a sense of reverence for his native land.

GO TO PRACTICE EXERCISE 3Answer the questions of each passage.C. Describe the prevailing mood the narrator’s thoughts evoke.

GO TO PRACTICE EXERCISE 3Answer the questions of each passage.C. Describe the prevailing mood the narrator’s thoughts evoke.The lure of freedom, represented by the endless horizon of the lovely plains, is matched by a feeling of restless optimism. Everything is possible in the West.

TONE CONTINUED: MORE DIFFICULT VARIETIES

Tones that are cultural, social, and political create increased cynicism, uncertainty, and skepticism about the American dream and about the country’s role in the world political arena..

Witty, playful, drollIronic, tongue-in-cheekSarcastic, scornful, sardonicPessimistic, cynicalMocking, satirical


WittyWriter’s mental keenness and sense of playfulness and an ability to recognize the comic elements of a situation or condition.

It is not sarcasm which has a mean streak.

It is humorous, brief, clever in its use of words, and pointedly perceptive in describing human frailty and folly.

See p. 257-258


IronyUsed when the writer actually means the opposite of what he/she actually means.

It is an unexpected contrast which results in a heightening of intensity about the real subject.

It can be used to poke fun at human weaknesses and inconsistencies, or more seriously, to criticize, to encourage reform, or to cast doubt on someone’s motives.

The heart of many jokes!

IRONY

Irony often is present in cartoons. What is the irony underlying the situation?

IRONY

The Grim Reaper, the traditional personification of death, has a complicated set of locks in his presumably urban apartment. We wouldn’t expect the Grim Reaper to be afraid of crime.

IRONY

IRONYGo to p. 259

Read the passage on p. 260.

IRONYGo to p. 259

Read the passage on p. 260.


SarcasmA form of wit intended to taunt, wound, or subject another to ridicule or contempt.

Latin = “flesh-cutting

irony SarcasmWriter deliberately says the opposite of what is intented.

May involve ironySneering atMocking the target

Consider the writer’s intent.


Distrusting or disparaging the motives or sincerity of others

Cynicism

Sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic

A cynic detects falseness in others and recognizes impure motives.

It may or may not involve irony.

Watergate

Vietnam

Modern attitude

politicians


IronySarcasmcynicism


SatireA type of writing that seeks to expose folly or wickedness, to hold human behavior up to ridicule, and to show the reader that certain actions or behavior would be more desirable.

Distrusting or disparaging the motives or sincerity of others

Typically relies on

exaggeration

Sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic


SatireRead pp. 262-263

Typically relies on

exaggeration

Practice Exercise 4Read the following passages. Then, keeping in mind the writer’s purpose and intent, decide which of the following tones is most accurately reflected in each excerpt: witty, ironic, sarcastic, cynical, satirical.

Practice Exercise 4Read the following passages. Then, keeping in mind the writer’s purpose and intent, decide which of the following tones is most accurately reflected in each excerpt: witty, ironic, sarcastic, cynical, satirical.A. From Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright: “Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same.” The tone of this definition is

Practice Exercise 4Read the following passages. Then, keeping in mind the writer’s purpose and intent, decide which of the following tones is most accurately reflected in each excerpt: witty, ironic, sarcastic, cynical, satirical.A. From Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright: “Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same.” The tone of this definition is witty.

Practice Exercise 4B. Ilka Chase was a famous actress in the movies and on stage in the1930s and 1940s. When she published her 1942 autobiography, Past Imperfect , she encountered an actor at a party. (Legend has it that the actor was Humphrey Bogart.) When the actor congratulated Chase, he said, “I thought your book was wonderful. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. By the way, who wrote it for you?” Chase responded, “I’m so glad you like it. By the way, who read it to you?” The tone of this selection is

Practice Exercise 4B. Ilka Chase was a famous actress in the movies and on stage in the1930s and 1940s. When she published her 1942 autobiography, Past Imperfect , she encountered an actor at a party. (Legend has it that the actor was Humphrey Bogart.) When the actor congratulated Chase, he said, “I thought your book was wonderful. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. By the way, who wrote it for you?” Chase responded, “I’m so glad you like it. By the way, who read it to you?” The tone of this selection is sarcastic.

Practice Exercise 4C. From a review of Bolt of Fate by Tom Tucker, a biography of Benjamin Franklin: “. . . a new book argues that the legend on which Franklin’s reputation rests is dubious. There was no kite, no key, no bolt, no knuckle, no charge. He let people believe he had been places he never went, done things he never did, and seen things that never happened. No wonder he’s been called the father of American journalism.” (Adam Gopnik, “American Electric: Did Franklin Fly the Kite?” The New Yorker ) The tone of this excerpt is

Practice Exercise 4C. From a review of Bolt of Fate by Tom Tucker, a biography of Benjamin Franklin: “. . . a new book argues that the legend on which Franklin’s reputation rests is dubious. There was no kite, no key, no bolt, no knuckle, no charge. He let people believe he had been places he never went, done things he never did, and seen things that never happened. No wonder he’s been called the father of American journalism.” (Adam Gopnik, “American Electric: Did Franklin Fly the Kite?” The New Yorker ) The tone of this excerpt is cynical.

Practice Exercise 4D. This letter to the editor is in response to a proposal that creationism be taught in the public schools alongside evolution, which creationists contend is only a theory. Editor—As a public school teacher, I heartily support the teaching of creationism over evolution. Creationism is easy to teach and can help with classroom discipline. (“Behave or you’ll turn into a pillar of salt.”)The savings in textbooks would be tremendous. At an average cost of more than $80 a piece, school textbooks are prohibitively expensive. Bibles are not only much cheaper but are usually given

Practice Exercise 4D. continuedaway by evangelical groups.The greatest advantage would be that textbooks would be available in every hotel room in America. Incidentally, I teach math (pass the cubits, please) . . .

Jim ThurberMountain View, California

San Francisco Chronicle , December 1, 2004The tone of this letter is

Practice Exercise 4D. continuedaway by evangelical groups.The greatest advantage would be that textbooks would be available in every hotel room in America. Incidentally, I teach math (pass the cubits, please) . . .

Jim ThurberMountain View, California

San Francisco Chronicle , December 1, 2004The tone of this letter is satirical.

Practice Exercise 4E. “The Kim Basinger movie I Dreamed of Africa bombed at the box office last weekend. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. It was originally expected to bomb way back in September.” (Tom King, “Waiting for Their Closeups,” The Wall Street Journal , May 12, 2000) The tone of this selection is

Practice Exercise 4E. “The Kim Basinger movie I Dreamed of Africa bombed at the box office last weekend. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. It was originally expected to bomb way back in September.” (Tom King, “Waiting for Their Closeups,” The Wall Street Journal , May 12, 2000) The tone of this selection is ironic (movie makers don’t expect their movies to bomb)

Practice Exercise 4F. “If Superman were real, here’s how the Iraq war could have been avoided: At the request of the U.N., the Man of Steel rockets to Iraq, scans for weapons of mass destruction with his X-ray vision and, upon finding some, flings them into the sun. Instant disarmament.” (Jeff Jensen, “Cape Cowed,” Entertainment Weekly )The tone of this passage is

Practice Exercise 4F. “If Superman were real, here’s how the Iraq war could have been avoided: At the request of the U.N., the Man of Steel rockets to Iraq, scans for weapons of mass destruction with his X-ray vision and, upon finding some, flings them into the sun. Instant disarmament.” (Jeff Jensen, “Cape Cowed,” Entertainment Weekly )The tone of this passage is cynical.

Practice Exercise 4G. This excerpt is a made-up excerpt from a letter sent to a potential credit card customer:Dear Occupant:You’ve been pre-approved! What does that mean? Let us tell you. Just the other day, we were sitting around asking ourselves, “Where are we going to find exactly the kind of person we need?” This was a hard question, because our standards and specifications are stringent. We spent weeks askingourselves this question. We got sick of looking at one another because we were meeting so often with the same people and asking the same question over

Practice Exercise 4G. continued

and over. One of us started to ridicule another one of us for his slight Midwestern “twang.” Another one of us broke down sobbing. It was a trying period. There didn’t make it. But, finally, after countless cups of coffee and cigarettes and frantic phone calls and consultations and trips to the bathroom and looking things up in the dictionary and the thesaurus and just throwing our hands up in despair, we came up with somebody. And that somebody just happened to be someone you know—you!

Frank Gannon, “Pre-Approved for Platinum,” The New Yorker

Practice Exercise 4G. Is this passage an example of wit, irony, sarcasm, cynicism, or satire?

Practice Exercise 4G. Is this passage an example of wit, irony, sarcasm, cynicism, or satire? satire

AllusionA pointed and meaningful reference to something outside the text, which helps illuminate the subject.The Bible or other religious textsHistoryLiteratureGreek, Roman, or other mythologyPopular culture, including movies,

songs, works of art, fashion, the media, etc.

AllusionA master reader may read allusion. The common reader will have difficulty.

If you can’t grasp the connection between the allusion and the subject, it is impossible to understand the allusion.

Go to pp. 266-267.

Special Stylistic EffectsSpecial EffectsUnderstatementHyperbole (deliberate exaggeration)

Alliteration

Repetition for effectUnusual sentence structure

Special EffectsUnderstatement

Hyperbole (deliberate exaggeration)

Alliteration

Repetition for effect

Unusual sentence structure

SPECIAL EFFECTSRepetition for effect

Attention getterUnusual sentence structure

Attention getter by having incomplete sentences (fragments) and repetition

AlliterationRepetition of initial consonant sounds in words—more often associated with poetry

suspense

Documents

Chapter 7: Tone, Point of View, and allusions