What is the author's tone in the novel, Then She Was Gone?

As Noelle’s foil character, Floyd’s language has a sophisticated tone. This manifests in the controlled manner in which he tells Noelle that he will be taking full custody of Poppy. His tone is calm, but with a sense of surety implying that what he is saying is not up for debate. He wastes no words. This is evident when Noelle confesses to him what she had done to create Poppy. He says nothing, he simply throws himself at her.

Poppy has inherited her use of language from Floyd. In all respects, she is a calm and collected individual with a sense of maturity that far exceeds her age. This is evident in her word choices and especially in the speech that she gives at Laurel and Hanna’s birthday. At this instant, she is even described as having “perfect diction [and] unerring poise” (124).

Just as Noelle is Floyd’s opposite in nearly every respect, as sophisticated as Floyd’s language is, Noelle’s is sharp and vulgar. Her emotions often run uncontrolled and her choice of language reflects this. She will often snap at Ellie when she has had a bad day. In her soliloquies as much as to Floyd’s face she will use vulgar language, even calling him a “scumbag” (298) right before he kills her.

The language used by Laurel is fitting of a middle class, middle-aged woman. She doesn’t use unnecessarily cordial language, but she isn’t vulgar at any point either. She will have the occasional vulgarity slip from her lips but it is always used in context and never superfluously.

Jewell does an incredible job of using language as a vital component of characterization. Each character of her novel speaks in a manner fitting their actions and demeanor, providing additional depth to her plot and increasing the reader’s connection to the paramount actors that encompass it.