Power of Irony in Literature

Strictly speaking, irony is simply a discordance or incongruity of facts. It arises when a discrepancy occurs between what a person says and what he does . Chua, in his Enjoying Fiction discusses that there are three forms of irony that exist in literature. These are the verbal, situational and dramatic ironies. When used properly, the irony as an element of fiction not only arouses the interest of the readers but also supplements the message that the author intends to translate.

There are several literary works that epitomize the proper and exquisite use of irony. If we consider dramatic irony, the most appropriate example to attest to what irony can do to a literary work if used effectively, is Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. We can actually say that irony is used by several authors to challenge the supposed norms of literature. It adds shock value and makes sure that through each literary work made, the evolution of literature does not cease.

Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery has been criticized by many a critic for its fumbles in the use of the elements of fiction. Many critics have scrutinized the bluntness of her character description, the obscurity of her plot and many other shortcomings that they attribute to her literary inexperience Its redeeming feature, however, is its magnificent use of situational irony—magnificently so that it usually leaves the reader haunted and distraught.

The story is set in a New England town, no other particulars are beyond that. The irony is started from the very first paragraph of the story. Jackson starts her work by describing a seemingly ideal day and the ideal environment of the town. The day is described to be “clear and sunny,” the grass, she describes, are green and the flo...

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...he story to be a story about a true lover in pursuit of his true love and a selfless nightingale who wished to help the lover. In the end we realize how superficial love is for the girl and that she did not deserve the rose. Of course, the irony is unexpected because we are given the impression that everything will go as planned since from the get-go, Wilde establishes the story like any other love story—destined for a happy ending.

This is the beauty of irony. It satirizes and express as it amuses and rouses interest. It gives a new dimension to literature and it keeps each story distinct from another. From the Greek who were the first to experiment with this element of fiction, to present day fictionists, irony will always be a vital that appeals to the reader and is handy for the writer for irony forces us to think deeply and analyzes harder—the power of irony.