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What is the tone of "How I Got Smart" by Steve Brody?
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The tone of "How I Got Smart" by Steve Brody is sincere, honest, and conversational, reflecting a playful and nostalgic recollection of his school days. Brody's narrative is infused with genial humor and fondness, especially as he recounts his youthful motivations and experiences. He uses a light-hearted, indulgent perspective to engage readers, particularly students, emphasizing the joy and sometimes silliness of learning while ultimately celebrating the pursuit of knowledge.
Tone refers to a writer's attitude about a particular audience or subject. It is different than mood, which focuses on the reader's feelings. I think the first couple of paragraphs do a nice job of letting readers know that the tone is going to be a sincere and honest tone. The text is narrating Brody's personal opinion of how he felt about school while he was enrolled in it; and he flat-out admits that he hated school. That's really honest, considering that he's a teacher. I also think that the tone is quite conversational. The opening paragraph ends with a rhetorical question. While that is something that can be used in formal writing, it generally isn't. Rhetorical questions like that are much more conversational in nature. They are things that friends and colleagues might say to each other. I also think the tone is quite playful at times. The...
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narrator just seems to really enjoy talking about some of these memories of his. He has really fond memories, and he enjoys creating a playful narrative about them. Telling readers that Cupid's arrow struck him and caused him to sharpen enough pencils to fuel a campfire just to be close to Debbie is a hilarious description of young love.
The tone of the personal essay, "How I Got Smart" by Steve Brody, is one of genial good humour. He is looking back on his younger self with some degree of nostalgia and indulgence. While he is making fun of his own memorization of the encyclopedia, it is more fond teasing than sarcasm. One feels that the tone is directed at his students, who like his younger self, are still somewhat innocent, and have not yet begun to understand the lure of knowledge. Although he ultimately suggests that knowledge of the sort found in the encyclopedia, and his motives for learning it, were both a bit silly, that start led him to real knowledge in his later years and a desire to share the excitement of learning with his students.