There are three types of irony: verbal, situational, and dramatic. Situational irony occurs when the actual result of a situation is different from what you would expect the result to be. Writers use irony because it inverts our expectations, creating an unexpected twist at the end of the story. In the stories “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “The Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin” irony is used to help achieve meaning.
Irony is the underlying theme in the story “The Lottery.” The opening paragraph indicates that the lottery is something positive, maybe even beneficial “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of full-summer; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.” (156). We are
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Not only is Tess late to the drawing she also jokes about it, “Wouldn’t have me leave m’dishes in the sink, now, would you, Joe?” (158) and when her husband draws the marked paper she screams “You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair.” (160). She screams “It isn’t fair. It isn’t right.” (162) as the townspeople are beginning to stone her. The fact that she is actually the scapegoat of the story is perhaps the strongest points of irony in the story.
“The Story of The Hour” by Kate Chopin is another irony filled story. It is the story of a woman who finds out that her husband has passed. Mrs. Mallard upon hearing about her husbands death does not react in the usual way instead “She wept at once, with sudden wild abandonment.” The usual setting after bad news is given is one of gloom or darkness. However in this story the scene is described as “the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life.” (542) and “The delicious breath of rain was in the air.” (542). It may be the setting was a reflection of her