Question

Which sentences in this excerpt from Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Contest" suggest that the author’s tone is mocking? The blue-clad player struck several chords upon his lyre, and then burst suddenly out into the “Ode of Niobe.” Policles sat straight up on his bench and gazed at the stage in amazement. The tune demanded a rapid transition from a low note to a high, and had been purposely chosen for this reason. The low note was a grunting, a rumble, the deep discordant growling of an ill-conditioned dog. Then suddenly the singer threw up his face, straightened his tubby figure, rose upon his tiptoes, and with wagging head and scarlet cheeks emitted such a howl as the same dog might have given had his growl been checked by a kick from his master. All the while the lyre twanged and thrummed, sometimes in front of and sometimes behind the voice of the singer. But what amazed Policles most of all was the effect of this performance upon the audience. Every Greek was a trained critic, and as unsparing in his hisses as he was lavish in his applause. Many a singer far better than this absurd fop had been driven amid execration and abuse from the platform.

Answer 1

"Many a singer far better than this absurd fop had been driven amid execration and abuse from the platform." Is the sentence that really shows mockery the best. While the author was praising him for what he was doing in the beginning it ends with such a mocking tone it changes the way you look at the rest of the reading.

Answer 2

The answer is explained below.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Contest was first published in 1911 in the New York Tribune. It is short story written by English author sir Arthur Conan Doyle, best known by his Sherlock Holmes.

The author's tone refers to the way the author expresses his attitude by their writing; in this case it refers to a mocking tone which can be seen through the next three sentences:

1) The low note was a grunting, a rumble, the deep discordant growling of an ill-conditioned dog.

2) Then suddenly the singer threw up his face, straightened his tubby figure, rose upon his tiptoes, and with wagging head and scarlet cheeks emitted such a howl as the same dog might have given had his growl been checked by a kick from his master.

3) Many a singer far better than this absurd fop had been driven amid execration and abuse from the platform.