Tone in “The ‘F’ Word” “The ‘F’ Word” written by Firoozeh Dumas expresses the hardships of having a unique name. After all the difficulties and numerous encounters with the hassle of an ethnic name, Dumas realizes she must not care what others think, take pride in the origin of her name, and share her experiences with the readers. Others may have the ability to relate with her troublesome times of moving somewhere new and having an “odd” characteristic. Firoozeh Dumas’ purpose emphasizes the importance of not antagonizing someone for something they happened to be raised with as well as to describe her occurrences with others. She adopts a selfless pity, yet humorous tone in order to create a sense of empathy in her teens with similar circumstances. Dumas makes descriptions of close relatives and close friend’s names, subsequently she exchanges the American kid’s reactions and responses to such. “My cousin’s name, Farbod, means ‘Greatness’. When he moved to America, all the kids called him ‘Farthead.’ My brother Farshid (‘He Who Enlightens’) became ‘Fartshit.’ The name of my friend Neggar means ‘Beloved,’ although it …show more content…
“It’s like adding a few new spices to the kitchen pantry. More over cinnamon and nutmeg, make way for cardamom and sumac. Exotic analogies aside, having a foreign name in this land of Joes and Marys is a pain in the spice cabinet” (739). The analogy creates a tone of sarcasm and humor. “One mom at my children’s school adamantly refused to learn my ‘impossible’ name and instead settled on calling me ‘F Word.’ She was recently transferred to New York where, from what I’ve heard, she might meet an immigrant or two and, who knows, she might have to make some room in her spice cabinet” (741). This closing fragment lightens up the mood to focus not only on the “downside” of moving to America, but also for the lessons learned and thinking adjustments that may or may not have been