ipl-logo

Use Of Situational Irony In The Ransom Of Red Chief

680 Words3 Pages

Stories can produce a variety of emotions through situational irony. Situational irony can create humorous impact on the audience. It also assembles a feeling of surprise and shock. The amazing thing though, is that situational can create a multitude of different emotions. It all depends on how the author chooses to manipulate it and how the reader perceives it. The enticing short stories, “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant and “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O. Henry, leave the reader aware of situational irony and the selection of emotional affects it can produce.
O. Henry uses situational irony in the hilarious short story, “ The Ransom of Red chief” to deliver a humorous affect to the reader. For instance, the kid that Bill and Sam kidnap …show more content…

For instance, early on in the story Madame Loisel says she will never become like those strong and hardworking women. Then Mathilde is an awry dressed, hardworking women because of her mistake. She says she would never become a women of that nature but then she becomes one of them. “Madame Loisel looked old now. She had become like all other strong, hard coarse women of poor households. Her hair was badly done, her skirts were awry, her hands were red” (7). In this quote the narrator explains the changes that Mathilde faces over the years. He explains how her appearance and demeanor change. Another example of situational irony in “The Necklace” is when Mathilde found out the real value of the necklace. Madame Loisel in the beginning of the story is stuck up and ungrateful. Towards the end of the story she is still fairly snobby but is now considered the poorest of the poor. “Oh, my poor Mathilde! But mine was imitation. It was worth at the very most five hundred francs” (8)! In this quote, Madame Forestier is is explaining to Mathilde that the necklace she has spent the past 10 years trying to pay off was not real. Mathilde spends ten years of her life trying to pay for a necklace that is 500 francs at most. “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant is a perfect example of situational irony giving the reader a surprising

Show More
Related
901 Words | 4 Pages

At the very end of the story when Mathilde Loisel puts her pride aside she is finally able to tell her friend the truth about the necklace and how much her and her husband paid to get it replaced. Madame Forestier is shocked and says “oh, my poor Mathilde! But mine was imitation. It was worth at the very most five hundred francs” (Guy de Maupassant 5)! The reader is appalled by the irony that the necklace was not actually real and the price for it was not as much as they thought it would be.

Read More
1188 Words | 5 Pages

In “The Necklace” Madame Loisel and her husband work very hard to pay everyone they borrowed money from back, after doing so she runs into her friend and says, ‘“I brought you back another exactly like it. And it has taken us ten years to pay for it… Mine was and imitation! It was worth five hundred francs at most!”’ (Maupassant 14).

Read More
534 Words | 3 Pages

Henry’s, “The Ransom of Red Chief” uses high comedy which involves irony, satire, and wordplay to reveal the universal truth to always expect the unexpected. The story is about Sam and Bill who kidnapped a child named Johnny. They thought they would be in control, but Johnny changed their mindset very quickly. Irony shows the oddity of the whole story. Hyperboles are used to amplify the characters’ features and the plot.

Read More
826 Words | 4 Pages

As the day of the party get closer another problem arises, she has no jewelry. Her husband suggests she go to Madame Forestier and ask to borrow a piece of jewelry. Mathilde selects a diamond necklace but ends up losing it sometime during the

Read More
471 Words | 2 Pages

Dramatic irony is usually an over the top, tragic form of irony. Both Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” are great examples of an ironic situation. Every expresses the common theme in their own way. Although both of these literally pieces provide us with the theme of irony, Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" gives the reader a sense of suspense with the irony that proves to be more effective. Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" emphasizes on how a man’s thoughts and perception can affect oneself and other’s lives.

Read More
785 Words | 4 Pages

(227). Mathilde's dishonest behavior represents her fear of appearing ordinary in front of society, when in fact, taking Madame Forestier’s necklace to appear affluent is an act. Her actions, conversations, and thoughts let readers understand Mathilde's distinct

Read More
3243 Words | 13 Pages

Introduction “Thus humanity is male and man defines woman not in herself but as relative to him; she is not regarded as an autonomous being.” —Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex Second- wave feminism of the 1960s and 70s has left its impact in every home, school, and business. In every form of entertainment and sport, in all aspects of personal and public life. As one of the largest social movements in the history of the United States, it permanently altered the American landscape. Feminism is a rapidly spreading ideal that has existed for centuries.

Read More
546 Words | 3 Pages

She worked very hard to pay off the replacement of the necklace. When she runs into Madame Forestier after ten years, she finally had the chance to tell her what happen to her necklace. Madame was shocked and told her that the necklace was imitation that it was not worth anything. This show, situational irony, which means the outcome, is the opposite of the expected outcome. Mathilde Loisel really wants to be in the upper class, but because she insists on borrowing the necklace, she ends up in a lower class than she started.

Read More
353 Words | 2 Pages

A Change in Mathilde Loisel “The Necklace” “If there is no struggle, there is no progress” - Frederick Douglass. This quote is explored in the short story, “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, as he introduces a low-middle-class, materialistic women named Mathilde Loisel who is unhappy at the level of her life and one who goes through complicated struggles. Mathilde Loisel changes throughout the story because over a ten year span, she realizes what it means to live a life in impoverishment. Towards the end, she changed from the demanding work she had to do. Another change in her personality is when she is described as a peasant woman guarding every coin of her allowance.

Read More
156 Words | 1 Pages

In Guy de Maupassant’s mysterious, dramatic, fictional, short-story, “The Necklace”, Mme. Loisel is the self-conscience protagonist. She can “not afford fine clothes”. She sees what others have and she compares it to what she has. She is noticing what other people wear and its making her wonder if she looks bad.

Read More
1107 Words | 5 Pages

Originating in France, ‘The Necklace’ is a short story written by French writer Guy de Maupassant in the late nineteenth century, the period where literary movements realism and naturalism dominated French fiction. Maupassant played an important role in both the realist movement and the naturalist movement through his depiction of the setting as well as the character’s decision. The short story reflects upon the rigid patriarchal society during the late nineteenth century, demonstrating how the wealth of a person can lead to their generosity and greed; thus affecting their lifestyles. Through ‘The Necklace’, Maupassant aims to depict the conflicts between the upper-class and the lower class, how their inner desires vary. This essay will analyze ‘The Necklace’ and how Maupassant uses the social context, characters and literary devices in the short story to illustrate his misogynistic viewpoints towards women.

Read More
771 Words | 4 Pages

Originating in France, ‘The Necklace’ is a short story written by French writer Guy de Maupassant in the late nineteenth century, the period of time where literary movements realism and naturalism dominated French fiction. Maupassant played an important role in both the realist movement and the naturalist movement through his depiction of the setting as well as the character’s decision. The short story reflects upon the rigid patriarchal society during the late nineteenth century, demonstrating how the wealth of a person can lead to their generosity and greed; thus affecting their lifestyles. Through ‘The Necklace’, Maupassant aims to depict the conflicts between the upper-class and the lower class, how their inner desires vary. This essay will analyze ‘The Necklace’ and how Maupassant uses the social context, characters and literary devices in the short story to illustrate his misogynistic viewpoints towards women.

Read More
572 Words | 3 Pages

“Ah, a good homemade beef stew! There’s nothing better...’ she would visualize elegant dinners with gleaming silver amid tapestried walls,” (Maupassant 609). Madame Loisel’s starting to come together as a woman who longs for one thing and one thing only; to be of a higher class, a rich woman married to a higher class man. She only sees the beauty of the upper class and the grime and stench of belonging to the middle class. “She didn’t open the case as her friend feared she might,”(Maupassant 613), Madame Loisel is terrified that her friend might realize the necklace has been replaced.

Read More
1282 Words | 6 Pages

Mathilde would have much rather replaced an expensive piece of jewelry than admit that the necklace was unfortunately lost, which shows that she has pride in her appearance and personality to the public. Mathilde's pride and obsession with being perfect was what ultimately caused her to be anything but because it consumed all of her time and energy, just like her obsession with her how her persona to the public is

Read More
1196 Words | 5 Pages

Loisel: Why are you sad my dear? Mathilde (shouting): I’m sad because I look old. I became a woman of impoverished households- strong and hard and rough. I mean look at me. I have a frowsy hair.

Read More

More about Use Of Situational Irony In The Ransom Of Red Chief

Related Topics

Open Document