What is the author's tone in the book, Congratulations, by the Way?

The tone of this piece is relatively urgent in its advocacy for the values of kindness, but in keeping with its central theme, the tone is generally kind, calm, and compassionate. This tonal mixture is strongly exemplified by some of the final remarks that Saunders makes. Saunders states, “Find out what makes you kinder…and go after those things as if nothing else matters. Because, actually, nothing else does” (23). Soon after this statement, Saunders closes the speech by stating, “I wish you great happiness, all the luck in the world, and a beautiful summer” (26). Saunders seeks to demonstrate kindness towards his audience while imploring his audience to pursue similar virtues of kindness.

The speech also utilizes a tonal mixture of humor and solemnity. This tonal dynamic is very often found in Saunders’s other work. In this speech, Saunders uses this mixture of humor and solemnity to build a rapport with the audience in order to convey his pieces of wisdom and advice. For example, Saunders opens the speech by describing his relationship to the audience thusly: “Some old fart, his best years behind him, who over the course of his life has made a series of dreadful mistakes (that would be me), gives heartfelt advice to a group of shining, energetic, young people with all their best years ahead of them (that would be you)” (1). This language is humorous but also foreshadows Saunders’s serious engagement with his role as an older, wiser person called upon to give advice to a younger generation.