Christina Masterson Essay Jane Austen and Charles Dickens utilize different strategies to add to their evident tones.

While Austen presents a distant, yet logical tone, Dickens presents a compassionate, yet defensive tone. Both authors use diction, attitudes, and assumptions in assisting their ideas and views portrayed about marriage. Each of the authors uses different kinds of diction in order to present their tones more effectively. Austens distant diction presents the idea of marriage as more of a business deal, whereas Dickens manages to create a romantic idea of marriage through his use of endearing diction. Austen describes the mans process of [chusing] a wife while keeping in mind not only to consider a woman who was brought up high. She also mentions his patroness as being able to aid him with one of her many advantages. The way that Austen words her sentences creates the feeling of a deal rather than a relationship and enforces her distant tone. Dickens takes a very different approach as he uses words which create a sense of the man being very protective and in love with the one to whom he is proposing. He describes the power the woman has over this man and how she could be the ruin of him if she wanted to be, however she describes his love and protection for her as he would shield her from evil in the world. Dickens describes the second thoughts the man may have had and how he conquered them for her. The differences in diction between Austen and Dickens passages drastically change the overall tones of both works. Both writers also make use of the mens attitudes on marriage which help to exhibit the tones being conveyed. The man that Austen is writing about has an attitude which makes marriage seem more like a planned arrangement rather than an endearing bond between two people in love. She describes the man as putting his happiness second to his image and

reputation. For this clergyman his marriage is mainly about presenting himself as an example of marriage for his parishioners. Dickenss passage creates a completely opposite attitude regarding marriage from the man. He accentuates the mans desire to please her despite his resistance. He also uses parallel structure in describing the pull she has on him and that if she had the desire, she could make him do anything. Dickens displays this man as being very defensive about his betrothed. Each of the authors attitudes regarding marriage in the passages accentuates the different tones. While Austen demonstrates the mans attitude about marriage as distant and cold, Dickens shows it as very close and adoring. Austen and Dickens furthermore incorporate assumptions into their writing. While the man in Austens passage has the assumption that marriage will build up his reputation and as an added perk, bring him great happiness, Dickenss writing makes the assumption from the man that marriage will be difficult, but worth the fight. Austen describes how the example of matrimony revealed by a clergyman would benefit his parish immensely. She adds how he believes coming second to benefitting his parish will be a vast amount of happiness. Dickens describes the man as loving the woman greatly, yet adds that he will protect her with his reputation is she ever falls. Both of the authors assumptions add to the tones being exposed. Austen and Dickens apply diction, attitudes, and assumptions in different ways in order to illustrate their tones regarding marriage more clearly in their passage.