Respuesta :
The tone in this passage shifts from suspenseful to comforting. The tone develops the theme that compassion and generosity can come from unexpected places.
The passage begins with a suspenseful tone because we are unsure of what the woman is going to say next. She caught the boy trying to steal her pocketbook and dragged him home with her. It switches to comforting when she reveals that she has done things she wasn't proud of and tells the boy that she's going to fix them something to eat. She then tells him to fix his hair. These are all affectionate things that show she is offering compassion and generosity.