Boot Camp AP Literature Tone, Mood, and Style

Tone Definition: the author’s attitude toward the reader or the subject of a literary work. Example: What is Faulkner’s attitude toward Southern society in “A Rose for Emily?"

Tone and Mood Mood: the feeling created in the reader by an audience by a literary work. Mood is sometimes called “atmosphere” How might we describe the mood of the story? Are there shifts? ‘Tude: the author’s attitude toward the reader or the subject of a literary work. We might say that Faulkner takes a critical tone in “A Rose for Emily” toward the Southern society’s struggle with change.

Tone and Style Stylish Shakespeare Tone: the author’s attitude toward the reader or the subject of a literary work. The subject matter is “the what” of the story. Style: the way in which a literary work is written; the devices the author uses to express thoughts and to convey subject matter The style is part of “the how” of the story. Stylish Shakespeare

How to Determine Tone See Handout for examples… Pay attention to diction. In speaking, diction refers to how words are pronounced. In literature, it refers to the words the author chooses to use, whether the words chosen are abstract or concrete, general or specific, and formal or informal. Look at the imagery. This is descriptive language that reveals what the author or character thinks and feels about what's happening. Study the details. No author can include every fact about a character, a scene or an event in the story. Which details are included and which omitted are important indicators of tone Listen to the language. The author will choose words according to their connotation, a meaning beyond the literal definition, that's suggested by a word, in order to reveal to the reader, the author's attitude toward the subject. Break down the sentence structure. This is the way individual sentences are constructed. The author varies his or her sentence structure to convey tone and may employ a pattern the reader can recognize.

Discovering Tone & Style Determine the writer’s attitude toward the subject matter. Sympathetic? Satirical? Determine the writer’s attitude toward the reader/audience. Respectful? Condescending?

Other Elements That Determine an Author’s Style of Writing

Analysis of Tone/Style Stories Analyze your story by identifying and explaining the significant structural components such as: setting, characterization, POV, theme, irony, symbolism, etc. How do these structural elements impact the tone/style of your story? What is the tone of your story? What is the style? Effect? Proof?