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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 10: Elementary Topography
Explanation and Analysis:
Kaysen's tone in Girl, Interrupted oscillates between detached and on-edge, like in this example from Chapter 10:
This clarity made me able to behave normally, which posed some interesting questions. Was everybody seeing this stuff and acting as though they weren’t? Was insanity just a matter of dropping the act? If some people didn’t see these things, what was the matter with them? Were they blind or something? These questions had me unsettled.
Throughout the book, Susanna constantly questions her experiences and the fabric of her reality in real time. As an author analyzing her past, Kaysen often adopts the detached tone of a scientific researcher writing a report, like in the first line of the above quote. However, this inquisitiveness can turn from measured to anxious and desperate instantaneously, as it does in this passage. Her curiosity and introspection are shaped by the pain of mental illness and her complicated relationship with a flawed mental health care system. In Girl, Interrupted, Kaysen uses tone as a tool to help readers understand her experiences as well as reflect on the way society discusses, studies, and approaches mental health.
Related Themes:
