Tone is the way an author conveys a feeling to the reader through a piece of writing. In Beloved, by Toni Morrison, the book begins with a dark and foreboding tone and as you traverse through the memories of the characters the tone becomes more and more gloomy but as the book comes to a close the tone becomes more hopeful in 124. “124 was spiteful. Full of a baby’s venom. ” P. L is the first words of the book and sets up the dark foreboding tone that trails throughout the first chapter.
As you begin the book you are given these ideas of darkness as you become consumed in the memories and stories of the characters. The characters of the book could definitely feel this tone even one who had never been in the house such as Paul D when he says, “Good God… What kind of evil you got in here? ‘ p. 8 as he took his first steps Into 124. This tone takes up a good part of the beginning of the book as it sets up the trailing tone of a good majority of the beginning of the book.
As you read further into the book you find out more about all of the characters pasts and all of the torture, rape, and cruelty they were made to endure. These memories slightly shift the tone to become gloom. “. Other then the times when Beloved needed her, Seethe confided herself to a corner chair. ” p. 292 was the effect of these memories on Seethe. As though through these memories that Seethe couldn’t let go her life seemed to be sucked like a leech from a host. Beloved was a human embodiment of the memories that Seethe latched unto and couldn’t relinquish though she tried her hardest to forget.
This gives off a tone of gloom and despair as you read further into the horrible cruel lives of the characters. “Seethe me and you we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow? ” p. 320 says Paul D as the book closes whose words portray the tone of the end of the book. As you read to the end of the book and Beloved Is exorcised away the tone changes from the dark and gloom of the unforgotten memories to being eyeful as Seethe begins to relieve and reconcile with her past.
This allows her to look forward to the future and to see what she already has. This tone ends the book with a feeling of hopefulness towards the characters and their futures. Throughout Beloved the tone changes a couple of different times. In different parts the tones seems to be dark, gloomy and even hopeful but as the book ends these tones are set aside to create a tone of reconciliation. That you should never dwell on the past but that you should look forward to the future.