Tone and Theme

A. Tone (by Benny)

Tone = Author’s attitude or stance toward the action, characters, narrator, subject, and even readers of the story.

Type1. toward Actions or Events
HOW the story is. (E.g. hilarious, sad, thrill, or scary)
Example: The Story of an Hour (P.6-8): The story is ironic and sympathetic.

Type2. toward Characters or Narrator
How the author FEELS about a character or narrator. (E.g. like, hate, trust, admire, hostile towards, sentimental about, etc.)
Example: The Necklace (P.46-52): We can feel the main character, Mme. Loisel, pretentious, and demanding.

Type3. toward Subject Matter
How the author FEELS about an IDEA or CONCEPT.
(Feelings: bitter about, indifferent to, outraged about, shocked by, scornful of, etc)
(Ideas and concepts: marriage, family, society condition, war, death, love)
Examples: The Grass-Eaters (P.167-170): The author attitude to his life is matter-the-factly, apathetic, and detached.

B. Theme (by Alex)

Theme- in literature, it is an idea in a story, controlling idea of the story or its central insight.

Types:
1. Author’s thoughts about a topic
2. Author’s view of human nature

The title usually points to what the writer is saying.

Examples:
The title of the story of the “Grass-Eaters” shows that the author is going to talk about poor people.
The reasons of poverty and their miserable life are the theme.