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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
Experiences in a Concentration Camp
Explanation and Analysis:
Throughout Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl vacillates between a detached and coldly scientific tone and a more subjective or sentimental attitude.
Frankl uses a detached tone when he appeals to scientific and empirical approaches—often in order to make generalizations about the psychology of the prisoners. At the start of Part I, he himself notes this objective attitude before he begins describing his encounters in the concentration camps:
To attempt a methodical presentation of the subject is very difficult, as psychology requires a certain scientific detachment.
This scientific treatment continues into Part II, when he lays out his psychotherapeutic doctrine before the reader and defines key concepts and beliefs. However, Frankl on occasion allows for more intimacy, letting his subjective emotions come through. For example, he writes movingly of his first experience in the concentration camp shower:
We really had nothing now except our bare bodies–even minus hair; all we possessed, literally, was our naked existence. What else remained for us as a material link with our former lives?
This vacillation between Frankl’s coldly scientific attitude and his more philosophical, subjective ruminations characterizes his psychotherapeutic doctrine: it is supported by empirical evidence, but it is also in touch with the emotional side of humanity.
