Situational Irony In 'Ransom Of Red Chief'

Situational Irony in Short Stories

Being surprised can bring out several different emotions, some good, some bad. When authors surprise you by creating an unexpected twist in the plot of the story it is called situational irony. Surprise is not the only feeling authors create by situational irony. In the short story “Ransom of Red Chief”, O.Henry uses situational irony to create the feeling of humor. Another example is by Guy de Maupassant the story “The Necklace” he uses the situational irony in the story to make the reader feel sympathetic for Madame Loisel. It is easy to see that authors use situational irony to create more than just the feeling of surprise in the reader.

In the short story, “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O. Henry irony is

For example, the Mathilde thinks that she should be one of the richest of the richest yet she ends up being one of the poorest of the poor. When Mathilde thinks of her life, she thinks that she should have everything, yet she lives a very typical life style. While Madame Loisel is thinking to herself she thinks that,“She had no clothes, no jewels, nothing. And these were the only things she loved; she felt that she was made for them.”(2) Mathilde lists all the things she loves and why she thinks she deserves all of it. This is irony produces a sympathetic vibe because Mathilde does not think is she getting what she deserves. Another reason the reader feels sorry for Madame Loisel is because she payed all that money for a necklace and she did not have to. This is ironic because Madame Loisel pays thirty six thousand francs for a necklace when she could have paid five hundred francs. At this point Mathilde will never get the wealth she wants in life. When Mathilde goes up to Madame Forestier and tells her about the necklace and how long they had to work to pay it off, Madame forestier says, “Oh, my poor Mathilde! But mine was imitation. It was worth at the very most five hundred francs! . . .”(8) This shows situational irony because Madame Loisel and her husband spent so long trying to pay off the debt they created. Mathilde goes through such trouble