Irony Essay The irony is when words are used to express something that differs, usually opposite from what actually happened.

Irony Essay The irony is when words are used to express something that differs, usually opposite from what actually happened. Irony in writing can come in many different forms and it can play a key role in the story’s development. This essay will discuss the impact of irony on two core short stories: ‘The story of an hour’ by Kate Chopin and ‘Possibility of Evil’ by Shirley Jackson. To begin with the short story ‘The story of an hour’, Kate Chopin used irony for many different purposes such as creating the setting, the theme and developing the character. First of all, the irony was used to develop the setting of the story. In the story, everyone including the protagonist thought that Mr. Mallard was dead but in fact, he wasn’t. By using the death of her husband, the author had created a perfect opportunity for Mrs. Mallard to realize her true desire to be free. Not to mention the comeback of Mr. Mallard at the end of the story made a logical ending. Not only that but irony also helps develop the character. In the story, when Mrs. Mallard heard about the death of her husband, all the characters worried about her health because ‘Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble’ however, she felt like ‘she was drinking in a very elixir of life’ and at the end of the story, the doctor thought that ‘she had died of heart disease--of the joy that kills’ while what actually happened was she died because she realizes that her freedom had been taken away. These details help the reader to understand more about the current woman's status within 19th society, therefore they can emphasize Mrs. Mallard's decision. Lastly, irony was used to increase the meaning of the theme that the author was trying to deliver. In the story, the main character said “over and over under the breath: "free, free, free! "” but she had never been free. By using this verbal irony, the author wants to let the reader feel the preciousness of freedom because for women back then, freedom was like a hidden treasure - can only be thought of but can never be touched. Overall, irony elaborates the setting and the theme as well as the main character in the short story ‘Story of an hour’. Moving on to the next story - ‘Possibility of Evil’ by Shirley Jackson, the irony was used to increase the suspense, develop the theme and hook the reader’s attention. Firstly, situational irony was used to create suspense. At the beginning of the story, Miss Adele Strangeworth was described as a nice person until the author revealed her true nature. Shirley Jackson released this key information to make sure the suspense continued to increase till the climax, this also made the reader eager to find out what would happen next. Secondly, the dramatic irony was used to stimulate strong emotions in the readers. In the story, Miss Strangeworth didn’t know that one of her letters fell off. The kids saw it, ‘looking after her and holding in his hand the letter he had picked up” and sent it. This helps the author to hook up the reader's attention because this dramatic irony made them want to know what is awaited ahead of the main character and how she would face it. Last but not least, the irony developed the theme of the story, which is what you saw or believed might not reflect the truth. In the story, Miss Strangworth was described as a good person when in fact she wasn’t, and the kids who were considered bad in her letter were actually good kids who want to help people. These details represented the message that the author wanted to deliver to her reader. In conclusion, in the short story ‘Possibility of Evil’, the irony was used to develop suspense, theme and makes the story more appealing to the readers. The irony was used effectively in the two short stories ‘Story of an hour’ and ‘Possibility of Evil’ by the authors. In general, it played a huge role in both the story's development. Works Cited