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Chemistry By Ron Rash Irony Essay

1624 Words7 Pages

Dramatic irony and tragic irony are two concepts that can change the entire way one looks at how a story of any kind is presented. In the two short stories “Chemistry” by Ron Rash and “The Retreat” by Bobbie Ann Mason, irony plays a significant role in how the concept can completely consume a story making it come to life. Without irony, these two short stories would not have the intensity and meaningfulness packed into them. The short story “Chemistry” has a major focus on tragic irony. The father of the narrator suffers from a chemical imbalance in his brain at the start of the story. This chemical imbalance causes him to be sick though out the reminder of his life having serious lasting effects not only on him, but his family as well, specifically …show more content…

Tragic irony can be used in a small amount or in a larger amount. In “Chemistry”, Rash uses tragic irony heavily through out the entire text. The irony Rash uses is a backbone to his themes and concepts, without the irony then the reader would have a hard time distinguishing the importance of the events taking place. For example, if the father was not a chemistry teacher or the father’s death was not a chemical imbalance, then the irony would not have had a severe impact. Also, the irony is what gives “Chemistry” such an intense impression, so without the heavy usage of tragic irony then the story would have not been as intense and meaningful. While in contrast, “The Retreat”, Mason uses tragic irony in a subtle way as to not distract the reader from some of the other major focuses and themes of the story. Mason uses just enough irony that at the end of the story the plot is ended without too much question as to what Georgeann is going to do about the problems she has been facing through out the entirety of the passage. This is in debt to irony because the glimpse of irony versus the chicken at the beginning, then slight mentions of it through out the reading, and at the end the killing of the chicken was just enough tragic irony to keep the story interesting while also giving light to how Georgeann handled other events

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