William Wang 1984 Tone Response Block 1-4
The passage from George Orwell's 1984 portrays a doubtful and animalistic environment as the protagonist passes through. Animalistic diction and dark imagery conveys a gloomy tone that envelopes the sinister surroundings.
Animalistic diction helps to create a gloomy tone throughout the passage. Throughout the passage, the narrator uses words such as crudely, swollen, ragged, and waddling to dehumanize the people around. Dehumanizing the area in the passage in turn degrades our opinion on the surrounding area. The fact that humans are displayed as being animals and the protagonist being the only thing displayed as human creates a sense of desolation around this lone man. This is further strengthened by the actions of the proles which are described as stiff, wary, and hostile creating a sense of isolation between the two parties and furthering the gloomy and dark atmosphere. The fact that the proles act this way towards the main character suggests a negative relationship and differences between the two.
Dark diction is also used here as almost all facets of this environment are described in a bleak way representing a loss of hope for the future and a profound dislike of his current society. In addition, the colloquial way the proles talks suggests them being uneducated which represents a difference between the two factions of 1984's society and an isolation between the two factions and Winston who is stuck in the middle.
Dark imagery exemplifies a gloomy tone throughout the passage. The dreary atmosphere the protagonist directs towards the environment around him is set by him describing it as; "brown-coloured slums⦠with battered doorways which gave straight on the pavement and which were somehow curiously suggestive of rat holes." (Orwell). The battered doorways, brown-coloured slums, and rat holes create an animalistic environment and...