What is the author's tone in the short story, The Way Up to Heaven?

The story begins with a neutral, expositional tone. The narrator describes Mrs. Foster’s personality and motivations before informing the reader about her anxiety. Dahl exemplifies this by repeating Mrs. Foster’s desire that she and Mr. Foster “had better get going” (38) at the end of a couple of paragraphs on the first couple of pages in the story. Next, Dahl introduces traces of the dark tone that strongly pervades the rest of the story. The narrator suggests that “it is by no means certain” (37) that Mr. Foster is intentionally torturing Mrs. Foster, but the narrator does subtly imply this.

The tone then develops into one reminiscent of a build-up before a climax. After Dahl has established the characters’ personalities and relationships, the story is centered on tangible events, such as Mrs. Foster worrying about being late for her flight while she waits for Mr. Foster to get ready. This portion of the story establishes plot events, and it also provides the reader with a further understanding of Mrs. Foster’s anxiety.

The middle section of the story is focused on Mr. Foster’s malevolent nature. Scenes transpire that involve Mr. Foster’s true evil nature coming to the surface. For example, there is a scene on page 41 that involves Mr. Foster looking for Mrs. Foster’s physical indication of anxiety in order for him to feel satisfaction. This serves to justify Mrs. Foster’s actions against Mr. Foster later in the story.

In the final section of the story, the tone is one of redemption and overcoming of obstacles. The first instances of Mrs. Foster’s independence arising occur in the final section. For example, Mrs. Foster finally opposes Mr. Foster on page 44. Moreover, the chauffeur notices a more confident demeanor in Mrs. Foster on page 46. This is because Mrs. Foster has finally rid herself of Mr. Foster. This suggests that Mr. Foster was the only barrier to Mrs. Foster leading a full life. Ending the story on this note provides an uplifting character arc for Mrs. Foster.