Narrative tone
(or: the story’s attitude toward what’s happening)
- Every story has a mood. But more importantly, it has an attitude.
- That attitude is called narrative tone.
- Tone is not what happens in the story. It’s how the story sounds while it’s happening.
1. What is narrative tone?
Definition
Narrative tone
Narrative tone is the writer’s or narrator’s attitude toward the subject, characters, or events.
- It answers questions like:
- Is this serious or sarcastic?
- Sympathetic or judgmental?
- Calm or tense?
- Detached or emotional?
- In simple terms:
Tone is how the narrator feels about what they’re telling you.
2. Why narrative tone matters
- Tone shapes how the reader:
- feels about characters
- interprets events
- judges reliability
- experiences tension
- The same event can feel completely different depending on tone.
3. What creates narrative tone?
- Tone is created through:
- word choice
- sentence length and structure
- level of emotion
- description and detail
- what the narrator focuses on or ignores
- Tone is rarely stated directly. It’s felt.
Example
- Word choice:
- The narrator’s use of harsh words like “snapped” and “crushed” creates an aggressive tone that reflects his anger.
- Sentence length and structure:
- Short, fragmented sentences create a tense tone, mirroring the narrator’s racing thoughts.
- Level of emotion:
- The exaggerated emotional reactions in the narration create a dramatic tone that shows how deeply the narrator is affected.
- Description and detail:
- The narrator lingers on unsettling details, creating an anxious tone that suggests fear rather than calm observation.
- What the narrator focuses on or ignores:
- By focusing on minor insults and ignoring major events, the narrator’s tone reveals insecurity and resentment.
4. Common types of narrative tone
- Reflective:
- Looking back, I realise that silence changed everything.
- Bitter:
- Of course they blamed me in the end, just like they always did.
- Humorous:
- I tripped, dropped my bag, and somehow managed to look surprised.
- Tense:
- I held my breath as the door creaked open.
- Detached:
- She left the room, and the conversation ended.
- Regretful:
- I wish I had said something before it was too late.
- Sarcastic:
- Oh great, this day just keeps getting better.
- Sympathetic:
- He tried his best, even though the odds were never in his favour.
Note
- A text can shift tone as the story develops.
5. Narrative tone and narration
- Narrative tone is closely linked to point of view.
- First-person narration often creates a personal, emotional tone
- Third-person narration can create a more distant or controlled tone
- Unreliable narrators often create a defensive or self-justifying tone
- Who tells the story affects how it sounds.
6. Narrative tone and tension
- Tone helps build tension by:
- making moments feel uneasy or calm
- signalling danger or safety
- showing emotional pressure
Example
- A calm tone during a serious moment can feel unsettling:
- He described the accident in a flat, calm voice, which made the danger feel even more disturbing.
- A tense tone can make small moments feel important:
- She held her breath as the clock ticked, making the simple act of waiting feel critical.
7. Narrative tone and character
- Tone often reveals:
- personality
- emotional state
- bias
- internal conflict
- Sometimes tone tells us more about the narrator than the events themselves.
Example
- Personality:
- The narrator’s sarcastic tone reveals a cynical personality that refuses to take events seriously.
- Emotional state:
- Her clipped, impatient tone shows that she is anxious and overwhelmed, even though she never directly says it.
- Bias:
- The mocking tone toward other characters reveals the narrator’s bias and lack of sympathy for their views.
- Internal conflict:
- The narrator’s shifting tone between confidence and doubt exposes an internal struggle about the decision he is making.
8. How to use PEEL to analyse narrative tone
You can analyse tone using PEEL.
P: Point
- Identify the tone.
- tense
- reflective
- sarcastic
- detached
Example
- The narrative tone is regretful, revealing the narrator’s sense of missed opportunity.
E: Evidence
- Use:
- a key word or phrase
- a sentence pattern
- a descriptive detail
Example
- This is evident in the line, “I wish I had said something before it was too late.”
E: Explain
- Explain:
- how the language creates the tone
- what attitude the narrator shows
Example
- The use of “wish” and “too late” shows hindsight and emotional loss, suggesting the narrator is looking back with remorse rather than confidence.
L: Link
- Link to:
- character
- tension
- reliability
- theme
Example
- As a result, the regretful tone deepens character development and creates emotional tension by highlighting the narrator’s unresolved feelings.
Exam technique
- Sentence starters for analysing narrative tone
- Identifying tone
- The narrative tone is…
- The narrator adopts a … tone when…
- The tone of the extract can be described as…
- Using evidence
- This is shown through the phrase…
- The word “…” suggests…
- The sentence structure contributes to the tone by…
- Explaining effect
- This language creates a tone of… because…
- The narrator’s attitude appears…
- This makes the narrator seem…
- Linking to bigger ideas
- As a result, the tone shapes the reader’s view of the character.
- This tone increases tension by…
- The tone raises questions about the narrator’s reliability.
- Identifying tone
9. Now it's your turn...
Example question
- Practice task: analysing narrative tone
- Extract
- Oh great. Another message left on read. Exactly what I needed today.
- Your task
- Write one PEEL paragraph answering the question below.
- Question:
- How does narrative tone shape the reader’s understanding of the narrator in this extract?
- What students should focus on
- identifying the tone
- spotting tone through word choice
- explaining the narrator’s attitude
- considering how tone affects reliability
Solution
The narrative tone of the extract is sarcastic, which shapes the reader’s understanding of the narrator as frustrated and emotionally defensive. This is evident in the line, “Oh great. Another message left on read. Exactly what I needed today.” The exaggerated positivity of “oh great” contrasts with the negative situation, suggesting the narrator does not genuinely feel optimistic. This use of sarcasm allows the narrator to express irritation indirectly, rather than admitting disappointment or hurt. As a result, the tone positions the reader to recognise the narrator’s emotional state while also questioning how honestly they are presenting their feelings.
- P: Point
- The narrative tone is sarcastic, revealing the narrator’s frustration and emotional defensiveness.
- E: Evidence
- This is shown in the line, “Oh great. Another message left on read. Exactly what I needed today.”
- E: Explain
- The overly positive phrasing clashes with the negative experience, creating sarcasm. This suggests the narrator is masking irritation rather than expressing their feelings directly.
- L: Link
- As a result, the tone shapes how the reader understands the narrator’s emotional state and raises questions about how honestly they are presenting their feelings.
Self review
- Revision summary: tone, narration, and reliability
- Narrative tone
- The attitude of the narrator
- Created through word choice and sentence style
- Shapes how events feel
- Narration
- Controls perspective (first- or third-person)
- Determines distance from events
- Influences tone and bias
- Reliability
- Determines whether the narrator can be trusted
- Revealed through tone, contradiction, or avoidance
- Often questioned when tone feels defensive or exaggerated
- How they work together
- Narration decides who is speaking
- Tone reveals how they feel about it
- Reliability decides whether we believe them
- Narrative tone
