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Understanding how writers create tone and atmosphere is a vital skill for Paper 1 Section A. Tone and atmosphere underpin many of the effects you will analyse in Questions 2, 3, and 4. This lesson will help you distinguish between tone and atmosphere, identify how they are created, and analyse them effectively in your exam answers.
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings:
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tone | The writer's attitude towards the subject, characters, or reader — the "voice" of the text | Sarcastic, sympathetic, angry, nostalgic, playful |
| Atmosphere | The overall mood or feeling created by the text — what the reader feels while reading | Tense, eerie, peaceful, oppressive, melancholic |
A writer's tone contributes to the atmosphere, but they are not the same thing. A writer can adopt a calm tone while creating a sinister atmosphere (for example, a character describing disturbing events in a matter-of-fact way).
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