·
Tone development
Tone development
is the way an author or a director of a literary work reveals the tone of a
literary work and the mood of the characters. In the novel “The River and the
Source” Margaret ogola has revealed the tone and mood of the novel in the
following ways:
I.
Through events taking place in
the novel.
The events taking
place in the novel have helped to reveal the tone of the novel and the mood of
the characters. For example the death of Obura sets the tone of the novel to be
gloomy and sombre and the mood of the characters to be that of sorrow and
sadness. The eventual death of Akoko reveals the anger and bitterness
experienced by those who have been affected by her death. Other events such as
marriage and birth reveal the excitement and hope exhibited by characters
presented in the novel.
II.
Through the themes in the
novel.
Themes such as
death, misfortunes, conflicts, oppression, resentment, accusations, jealousy etc.
reveals just how gloomy and sombre the tone of the novel is while themes such
as joy, optimism, friendship, chivalry, encouragement etc. helps to reveal
excitement and happiness of the characters in the novel.
III.
Through the actions of the
characters.
The actions that
the characters in the novel undertake to do influence the tone and mood of the
novel. For example, Mark’s decision to court Elizabeth and Tommy’s action to
court Vera sets the tone of the novel to be that of romance and intimacy. There
is a lot of anticipation from the readers of the novel when the four characters
were courting.
IV.
Through the monologue of a
character.
In the opening of
the novel, the monologue of grandmother Nyar alego sets the tone of the novel
to a gloomy and sad state because of her lamentations to were and her dead relatives and ancestors. In her monologue she
flashes back and reveals to the readers the death of her closest relatives
thereby setting the story’s tone.
V.
Through dialogue between
characters.
Conversation
between two or more characters in the novel helps to reveal the mood and tone
of the novel. For example the conversation between Akoko and Otieno reveals the
anger and bitterness that both characters had towards each other. The tone
between the two characters also reveals the tone of the novel which was
confrontational.
VI.
Through symbols and images.
Symbols such as
objects, characters, settings, actions and events help to analyse the
atmosphere in the novel. For example in places where Otieno appears the tone of
the novel changes to bitterness and anger since his presence angers Akoko and
the readers who have recognised him as the antagonist. His presence is a source
of resentment because of the negative qualities that he possesses.
VII.
Through the setting of the
novel.
The injustices
that Akoko faced in Sakwa after the death of her husband and her two sons has
helped to develop the tone of the novel and the mood of the readers towards her
plight. After leaving Sakwa and staying briefly in Yimbo, Akoko peace in Aluor
where she had gone to seek a new religion which promised love and hope to the
widows and orphans.
VIII.
Through word choice of the author
and the characters.
The speech and
choice of words that the author of the novel has used helps to define the tone
and mood of the novel. Words such as pandemonium, melee, benevolent, acerbic etc.
have helped to set the tone and mood of the novel.
IX.
Through the conflicts taking
place.
The conflicts
that appear in the novel help to analyse the mood of the characters and the
atmosphere in the novel. Conflicts between Akoko and Otieno reveals the anger
and bitterness between the two characters and the tense atmosphere the
conflicts bring about in the novel’s plot.
X.
Through the culture and
traditions practiced by a section of the characters in the novel.
The culture of
the luo community which the author of the novel has shown to be a bit
retrogressive has helped to create the atmosphere of the novel. For example the
cultural tradition of wife inheritance which is seen as a mockery to womanhood
creates an atmosphere of misery and sympathy.
XI.
Through the character traits
shown by different characters.
The character traits
of some of the characters have helped to determine the tone and mood of the
novel. Akoko’s traits create an atmosphere of hope, love and admiration whilst
Otieno’s traits create an atmosphere of contempt and hostility.
XII.
Through the thoughts of the characters.
The internal
monologues of different characters in the novel have helped to create the mood
and tone of the novel. For example the internal monologue of Akoko when she was
lamenting of how were had forgotten
to create a man good enough to marry her helps to develop her moods and also
the tone of the novel.
·
Function of tone and mood
I.
To develop the characters.
The tone of the
novel has helped to develop the character traits of some of the characters in
the novel. For example, the tone of the novel when Akoko was born and became
sickly helps to determine grandmother Nyar alego’s traits through her speech.
In her monologue it is evident that she was sad and bitter after the death of
her closest family members.
II.
To change the pace of the
novel.
The pace of the
novel changes throughout the story as a result of the events that are taking
place. For example the story goes on a slow pace after Akoko’s marriage to
chief Owuor kembo but it soon become fast paced after the birth of Obura
because of the conflict that arises between Akoko and her mother in law.
III.
To add pleasure.
The change in the
tone and mood of the novel helps to add pleasure to the readers. For example
the courtship between Mark and Elizabeth sets the readers into a romantic mood.
On the other hand the conversation between Becky and John also helps to add
romantic feelings to the readers.
IV.
To fit the themes.
The tone and mood
of the novel has helped to fit the themes of death, birth, courtship, friendship,
anger, bitterness, religion etc.
V.
To help readers come to terms
with events taking place in the novel.
Events such as
marriage, death, courtship, traditions etc. have helped the readers to mentally
prepare themselves for unforeseen events about to take place in the novel’s
plot.
VI.
To enhance literary devices.
Literary devices
such as tragedy, catastrophe, suspense, soliloquy, dialogue etc. have been well
defined by the tone and mood of the novel.
VII.
To enhance conflicts taking
place in the novel.
Conflicts such as
man vs. man and man vs. self have helped to set the atmosphere of the novel and
the mood of the characters.
