comment on tone

The tone of the novel changes, but is often hopeful even if the themes in the novel are not. Gantos uses humor extremely effectively in the novel, making it an often lighthearted account of Gantos' own follies. That being said, there are several sections of the novel that are very downcast in tone, as Gantos loses hope and faith in himself and in the world around him. There are other sections of the novel that are frightening in tone, as Gantos explains some of the horrific circumstances he encounters while in prison. These moments are frightening in both detail and tone, as Gantos seeks to be very pointed in his depictions of the horrors of prison life. Still other times, Gantos' tone is hopeful. Gantos is, without a doubt, an eternal optimist, as he has shown in his works for younger audiences. Here too, even in his darkest hours, Gantos has a tendency to remain positive even in negative situations, a trait he teaches his younger audiences about in other books. This willingness to believe in the best, even during the worst of times, permeates the novel, making it a harrowing, and yet hopeful, book about recovering from mistakes, and about learning from life and moving forward. Gantos doesn't preach, and he doesn't judge, but instead relies on his own story to prove his point and help others.