Tone Shift In 'Coming To America'

Coming to America By:Kensey Dakin

In the story, The Rise of David Levinsky Book V: I Discover America, Chapter 1 by Abraham Cahan, his specific word choices he uses in the paragraphs helps portray the overall tone shift in the story. An example of the tone shift in the story is when David Levinsky narrates,” Who can depict the feeling of desolation, homesickness, uncertainty, and anxiety with which an emigrant makes his first voyage across the ocean?” (Cahan 2). In addition, another tone shift includes when he states,” You know that a change will come, but this knowledge is confined to your brain. Your senses are skeptical…” (Cahan 2). These quotations show that there is a tone shift because the words he uses like desolation, homesickness, uncertainty, anxiety,

David show's tone when he says the allusion,”When the discoveries of America saw land at last they feel on their knees and a hymn of thanksgiving burst from their souls.”(Cahan 2).This shows that the tone is hopeful because the author explains how they felt when they discovered the new land. Even though the author didn't mention it, we can tell that they are talking about Christopher Columbus because he was the first one to discover America and bring them to the new land.. The tone shift happens when Levinsky says the analogy,” The scene, which is one of the most thrilling in history, repeats itself in the heart of every immigrant as he comes in the sight of the American shores.”(Cahan 2). This quote means that the immigrants are happy when they see land because the voyage is finally over. The reader knows that the immigrant feels this way because of the tone, which is thrilling. This shows tone shift because in the first quote the tone was hopeful and in the second quote the tone was