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Mark twain literature
Use of irony as one of the dramatic devices
Mark twain themes of writing
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Mark twain literature
Use of irony as one of the dramatic devices
Mark twain themes of writing
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Tell the boys I’ve got The luck with me now” ” (Harte 1489). It shows how Christ “The Luck” sacrificed his life so that his followers could go to heaven. In “An Episode of War”, the lieutenant is injured because he was trying to cut coffee into squares equally for his division.
The most obvious example of irony in “The Lottery” is in the title of the story itself. When people think about the lottery, it is usually about winning a reward or a prize, and definitely not about being stoned to death. Shirley Jackson’s intention to name the title of this story as “The Lottery”, gives the readers an idea that someone will receive a reward. In fact, at the end of the story, the readers eventually realize that the reward is not what they think it’s going to be but rather a completely opposite thing. The second example of irony is in the setting of the story.
Imagine someone spends their entire life working hard towards becoming a divorce lawyer and then they suddenly are facing the same problem they are meant to help find a solution for, divorce. This is an example of an ironic situation. Irony is used in many different forms of literature and by many different authors and writers to highlight and focus on important aspects of their work. Ironic situations provide more information to the reader and allow revelations to be made within the story. For instance, an author who uses this literary technique is Richard Connell in one of his most well-known short stories, “The Most Dangerous Game”.
“Indecency, vulgarity, obscenity (these are strictly confined to man); he invented them” (Twain). In this satirical essay Mark Twain discusses his ideas about mankind’s useless morel sense. He observes that humans are the only species to possess a moral sense, yet they use it to perform evil. He states after comparing animals to humans he is humiliated to conclude that man is the least evolved of all species. Despite his use of satire, false authority and hasty generalizations, his piece was successful.
A prime example would be the various reactions of the characters to Moishe's lament in Night. “People not only refused to believe his tales, they refused to listen. Some even insinuated that he wanted their pity, that he was imagining things. Others flatly said he had gone mad.” (Wiesel 7) Townspeople told Moishe to stop playing jokes, but the irony is that Moishe is not known for that.
An example of irony can be seen in one of Miss Gates' lessons about democracy and dictatorship. She says "Over here we don't believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced. Pre-ju-dice,". It is ironic that she can recognize the persecution of the jews, yet cannot recognize the persecution that happens in her own country- the persecution of the African-Americans.
The Lottery of Death and Irony Many speak of the lottery of life, holding it accountable for its spirals and turns, misfortunes and surprises. However, a small, secluded town holds a very different lottery- the lottery of death. Shirley Jackson wrote The Lottery with irony, or an unexpected twist, to create a unique ending to an otherwise bland story. Although there are several types of irony, Jackson used situational irony, when what happens is different than what is expected by the audience, to its full extent.
In the lottery by shirly Jackson the author uses situational irony to describe how things aren't always what they seem and one little thing can turn someone's life upside down. situational irony to get the reader to believe the lottery is a good thing but little do they know it switches into a murder in this small town. The lottery takes place at the town square of a small village. The lottery has been around for many years and resembled tradition in the town.
One example of situational irony is first, the name “Fortunato” means “Fortunate” in Italian, but Fortunato is actually very unfortunate. Next, the word “cask” means “wine barrel,” but coffin also comes from the same word. So in other words, Fortunato believes he will reach a cask of wine, but in all actuality he will reach his coffin. Also, another great example of situational irony comes when Montresor has just dismembered Fortunato and exits the catacombs. Then, Montresor claims, “My heart grew sick-“(240).
Irony is often used in literature to illustrate certain situations to the audience. In some pieces of literature that might be pointing out an unjust system, in others that might be to add a comedic effect, but whatever situation the author wants to illustrate, irony is very beneficial. Through small and witty, one-liners, or a bigger dramatic irony situation contrasting two very different situations, irony can be very beneficial for the reader to understand the story. Both “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins have a corrupt dystopian society. Through the use of irony, the author can portray the corruptness to the audience.
Just because a tradition has been around for a long time doesn't mean you necessarily have to follow it, especially if you are against the outcome of being chosen. Living in a small village it might be hard to say “no” without getting judged by the other villagers, but at the end of the day you need to think about yourself and how the outcome will end up affecting your life. Shirley Jackson creates a suspenseful and captive story by using irony in “ The Lottery ”. Irony is a technique that involves surprising, interesting,or amusing contradictions or contrast (Teaching...1).
(Lawrence, 1933, p. 310). When you are lucky, this does not mean that people are fortunate economically. The chance of luck is to let things flow without imposing control over them and the situation. In The Rocking-Horse Winner, Paul 's mother gives the impression that to believe in luck is to have money in abundance, and when you do not have money, it is because you do not have
"The Luck of Roaring Camp" is a poignant short story written by Bret Harte, nineteenth-century master of the genre. In this realism tale set during the Californian gold rush era, the author successfully depicts how humanity can be concealed within a squalid and crude world. In it, a new-born child has a civilizing influence on men in more than one way: the tragedy of his birth brings the men together; he has the power to assemble them as a society, a culture. Secondly, the men become more polite, cordial towards one another. Thirdly, they have rites like all societies, giving a meaning to all lives in the camp.
Irony may appear in difference ways within literature. Irony changes our expectations of what might happen. It can create the unexpected twist at the end of a story or anecdote that gets people laughing or crying. Verbal irony is intended to be a humorous type of irony. Situational irony can be either funny or tragic.
The “greatest American humorist of his age”, Mark Twain once said, “Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.” From Missouri to Nevada, apprentice to father of American literature, short stories to novels—Twain became the well-known author he is today because of the impact his life adventures and trial had on him (5). Author of the excerpt from A Presidential Candidate, Twain often used humor and wit to illustrate his stories and make his point known. Through his use of satire, irony, and rhetorical questions, Twain exposes the perceived truths of the Presidential campaigns and candidacies. In his excerpt, Twain uses satire to illustrate how anyone can run for President regardless of experience (14).