To begin, Irony in the form of dark humor is used to convey a postmodern concept in the movie “Stranger than Fiction”, and the short story “The Happy Man”. Ironically, in “Stranger than Fiction” the perspective of a narrator and character are reversed. Characters in a novel are commonly oblivious of their narrative. However, Harold Crick is conscious that someone is narrating his life; therefore, he takes certain steps to avert his unfolding fate. On the contrary, narrators are generally omniscient, but Kay Eiffel, the novelist, is entirely unaware of her creation’s realism.
You never know what is hiding outside in the dark, cold night. Probably bears, coyotes, and hypothermia- which is why monster stories were historically used to scare children away from things that could harm them. As the genre developed, societal fears crept into the narratives; creating gothic stories about lonely people in decrepit castles, monstrous men who creep in womens’ windows, terrifying women who seek out sex to enjoy it, and lesbians. Incidentally, these stories can be seen in a very different light when reexamined today. Margaret Atwoods’ short story “Lusus Naturae”, published in 2004, is an example of a story far enough removed from the original context to play on the traditional themes of a vampire story in a different light.
Situational irony is irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected. dramatic irony is used a lot within books, plays, and movies. It is when the audience is aware of something that the characters in the story are not aware of. Within this paper, I will demonstrate on how Ray Bradbury utilizes irony within the novel Fahrenheit 451. First example of situational irony would most likely be with the firefighters in this novel.
Flannery O'Connor's use of situational irony in “Good Country People” highlights the motivations of the characters. The author uses it to provide that, I didn’t see that coming, twist of the story. Flannery O’Connor uses irony in Good Country People to give the reader a better sense of what she is trying to communicate to the reader, and show the meaning of her characters and their actions. She uses it to show that what is thought to be a “good country person” and really turns out to be a person with evil intentions. Several people, as well as objects, in this story appear to be one thing, but they are really not what they seem.
Countless children's stories and fairytales begin with the infamous phrase, “Once Upon a Time.” Nadine Gordimer stylistically chose to employ this phrase as her title for her thematic short fiction tale to ironically explore controversial subjects. This strategic choice utilized the “childish elements” of young literature, such as the, “wicked witch,” to convey underlying messages of fear and racism. In Thomas Foster’s, “How to Read Literature like a Professor,” the strategy of “stealing” ideas and elements from four main literary sources, children’s literature included, was discussed. Gordimer pulled from these stories, shown explicitly in the title, to create irony by conveying modern, political ideas and issues in our society through “innocent” plot elements.
By using irony, readers can hear the wisdom in the older narrator but also get to know the narrator in the story – the younger version. Because irony is used, readers can tell when the ‘character’ narrator is oblivious to being used or discriminated against. Irony allows readers to see how naïve the narrator was when he was younger – something that he himself recognizes as he gets older.
Wright and Atta way pushed the boundaries of the naturalistic novel .afro naturalist vision embraced words as weapons and book as vehicles for advancing social justice, racial equality and more broadly amount the migrant black moves. Afro naturalism focused mainly on black individuals and families they were focus of migration, urbanization, depression, war, and other great events of their time. Ann Petry was raised and raised in old say brook Connecticut her first novel drew upon her life and experiences in Harlem. In 1985 she was awarded a special citation by the city of Philadelphia. “In darkness and confusion” was a fictional of the causes and nature of Harlem riot of 1943.
The short story, “Charles,” is an interesting tale about a boy who makes up a story about another child causing trouble, when in reality, he is the one causing mischief. The author, Shirley Jackson, uses the characters’ interactions to create irony. The unexpected outcomes make the story more interesting to read, as well as move it along. She creates this by using dialogue and suspense throughout the short story. In the passage, the author uses dialogue to convey the irony shown throughout.
“It is impossible to outplay an opponent you can’t outthink.” This quote by Lawson Little can be used to explain how in The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay, Peekay’s ability to outthink his opponents is what drives him to victory. Furthermore, it does not have to be boxing that he out-thinks his opponents, there are numerous times where Peekay is shown thinking ahead of some situations saving him from misfortune, as well as outsmarting his opponents eventually leading him to victory. Peekay illustrates his intelligence by thinking ahead of situations, which in the end result, benefit him the most. To start off, with the judge on the brink of failing, Peekay “cast [his] mind back to when [he] had done the judges homework, just like that”
The Use of Irony in O’Connor’s Writing In the story of “A good man is hard to find,” written by Flannery O’Connor, an old, racist protagonist, two kids, a married couple, and their unnamed baby all go on a family vacation to Florida before dying brutally by a group of thugs on the way there. This short story features many humorous twists to the point of nearly being silly. Some examples of this are the how the family travels south instead of north, how the grandmother brings the cat to avoid a needless death, how the family non-fatally crashes their car, and how the family encounters the criminal they were trying to avoid all along. Countless instances of irony, a literary plot device, are found in O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find.”
Beginning- The book “Once" by Morris Gleitzman has a young Jewish boy named Felix, who is 10 and grew up in the 1940’s in a Catholic orphanage in the German mountains always expected his parents were going to go at the orphanage where he lived, and pick him up. His dream was to have a good life, without being an orphan. Felix never told anyone he’s Jew, he is afraid that the Nazis discover it, so he prefers to maintain as a secret. The only person who knows Felix is Jew is Mother Minka, who helps everyone, in everything they need.
Irony is defined as “an event or a result that is the opposite of what is expected to happen” (Webster 344). Flannery O’Conner’s short story, “Good Country People” deploys irony as a means of projecting her message that perception does not always coincide with reality. This theme of misconception is highlighted in the manipulative relationship between Hulga Hopewell and Manly Pointer. Hulga obtains a doctorate degree in philosophy and believes she is knowledgeable of the world, this is until she is deceived by Manly whom she perceives to be an innocent Christian simpleton, but he is none of those things. O’Conner projects a series of ironic undertones throughout her short story, the interactions between Manly Pointer and Hulga Hopewell utilizes irony to expose the truth behind the character’s real selves through their relationship with each other.
War brings out the worst and best in people. The author Morris Gleitzman of the historical fiction novel Once, tells the story of a young Jewish boy who grew up in the midst of World War ll, right in the centre of its fury and flames. The protagonist Felix Salinger invites the reader on a journey of self discovery, determination and the importance of books to the young mind. Gleitzman conveys the themes using a variety of techniques such as point of view, symbolism and ellipsis. The incredibly well-written and overwhelming story demonstrates the challenges faced on a journey in which the main protagonists learns more about themselves and the world around them.
In the short story, “The Open Window”, author Saki (H.H. Munro) uses multiple types of irony to elaborate the sense of the mood to readers. Saki uses dramatic irony, verbal irony, and situational irony to show the differences between the characters’ mindsets and personalities. Using different types of irony in stories makes one able to better understand multiple viewpoints of the characters. Dramatic irony is when the reader comprehends what is going on in the story or knows something the characters do not. An example of dramatic irony is shown in context where Mrs. Sappleton waits for her family to come home.
On the surface, Margaret Atwood’s poem “Morning in the Burned House”, concerns a speaker who has ostensibly come to visit a ruined house. Initially, the reader may assume that the speaker is a stranger to the house, an outsider wondering over the destruction that she has stumbled across. However, details reveal that the speaker has actually come to revisit her burned childhood home. Through this scenario, Atwood explores the themes of nostalgia and how adulthood is a irrevocably transformative occurrence.
