Irony in Literature

1. IRONY IN LITERATURE

2.  Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines irony as “the
use of words that mean the opposite of what you
really think especially in order to be funny or a
situation that is strange or funny because things
happen in a way that seems to be the opposite of
what you expected.”
 Gardner defines irony as “A feeling, tone, mood, or
attitude arising from the awareness that what is
(reality) is opposite from, and usually worse than,
what seems to be (appearance).”

3.  Merriam and Gardner paint two different
approaches to the idea of irony. Meriam
suggests that it is used in a comical sense
whereas Gardner shows the darker side. It really
is a combination of the two.
 What Gardner is getting at is the idea of
portraying something that is dark in your life in a
lighter way so that you are able to cope with it
better. Merriam is saying that as well, just in a
different way. We as humans are trying to make
lite of a situation by bringing in humor.

4. THE TYPES OF IRONY
There are several different types of irony according to
Gardner, used in literature.
 First there is verbal irony. A sarcastic remark is a form of
this type. For example, having a nickname for a tall man
like “shorty”.
 Second there is dramatic irony. Often times you as the
reader have more information than the characters, leading
you to see actions and words differently than they would.
 Lastly there is situational irony. When a particular action is
taken by a person they expect a certain result. The problem
is people are not always predictable therefore the action
can result in the exact opposite of what they expected.

5.  Writing irony takes a special skill. You must mold
the words to convey to the reader the idea that
something is real in a way that is believable. We
often use sarcastic remarks when we speak,
which is a form of irony, but this is meant to be
obvious. When writing though, you must make
what you are telling the reader seem true and
make the switch into reality seem real. The
process is not an easy task.

6. IRONY IN A STORY
 The story by Kate Chopin The Story of an Hour is a great
example of irony. At the beginning of the story the words
produce the effect that the man was loved and the wife is
truly heart broken. The next couple paragraphs bring a
whole different picture. Chopin does a deviously good job
painting a completely opposite view. You are taken in by
the feelings of Mrs. Mallard looking out the window
breathing the air of freedom. You can actually feel the
relief of this women, then the shoe drops. Mrs. Mallard
steps back to the world of mourning to find her husband
walking in the door. You would expect relief and joy yet
instead Mrs. Mallard falls down dead. Chopin took two
different lines of thought and got you involved in each and
then completely changed the reality of the story. Irony
really makes this story interesting. Now isn’t that ironic.