For Paper Three, you will analyze a short story for tone and the relationship of tone to the selected language elements.
The following is a suggested outline.
I. Present an introduction and thesis stating the tone and its relationship to selected language characteristics. Draw your introduction from a topic in the story as in previous papers. Do not define tone or language as your audience does not need definitions.
(Choose only one word to describe the tone, and in almost all cases the tone will be a statement of feeling.)
Tone is the author’s attitude toward the central idea and character as revealed through diction, syntax, and the arrangement and manipulation of the elements of fiction. It is not the characters’ attitudes.
2. Develop a paragraph supporting your choice of tone through the use of diction: denotation, connotation, and/or word repetitions; relate each example to tone.
3. Develop a paragraph analyzing the story for irony, symbol, repetition (other than words), or images and relate each example to tone.
4. Conclude by reemphasizing the relationship between tone and language.
Sample thesis: In "The Horse-Dealer’s Daughter" by D.H. Lawrence, the tone of despair is reflected through the use of language: specifically, diction and irony.
You must have your thesis approved in advance of writing your paper.
Supply many examples to support each of your choices. For example, a statement that the author uses many similes will require many similes in support. Additionally, each example needs to be explained in relation to the tone. Do not group examples together and follow with a general statement.