How does the tone of the story portray the author’s perception of his country?

Example Response:

The story's tone does not appear to be straightforwardly moralistic, yet it becomes apparent that the author employs a sarcastic tone when George talks about the holy war as "blessing butchery." The author does not support his country’s political position; instead, he utilizes George's character to critique the blatantly publicized war. For instance, Howells raises questions about the glorification of war through George's words: "But war! Is it truly glorious to disrupt world peace?" The tone of the narrative shifts to one of disapproval when Editha confronts George's mother. Howells employs Mrs. Gearson to sharply condemn the overly idealistic and romantic portrayal of war, as she states, "You merely anticipated that he would kill someone else, those foreigners who had no stake in this, simply because they had to, poor souls—conscripted, or however they term it. You believed it would be acceptable for my George, your George, to take the lives of the sons of those unfortunate mothers and the partners of those girls whose faces you would never recognize." The author further articulates his dissent against the romanticized notion of war being glorious through Mrs. Gearson's words: "I thank my God he didn't live to do it! I thank my God they shot him first, and that he isn't living with their blood on his hands!"