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Essays on irony in short stories
Use of irony as one of the dramatic devices
Use of irony as one of the dramatic devices
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American essayist Agnes Repplier once said, “Humor brings insight and tolerance. Irony brings a deeper and less friendly understanding.” This is evident in Gary Soto’s young adult novel, A Summer Life. The book takes Gary Soto back to his childhood life in Fresno during the 1950s through a collection of his most memorable tales, pranks, and assorted adventures with his own special twist. As Gary Soto talks about the events in his childhood, he uses a variety of literary tools including irony and sensory details. In “A Summer Life,” Gary Soto uses many literary devices, including irony and sensory details to recall his childhood growing up in Fresno. First, Soto uses irony as an essential tool in describing the life of an adolescent in the
"In the novel Buried Onions by Gary Soto, illustrates the trials and tribulations of a young boy named Eddie in the rural town of. Fresno,California. The theme of this novel is that you can't escape your past. One has to learn to accept it is a part of who they are and then move toward the future. Eddie, a young Mexican American, fights to make something of himself in Fresno, California. Coming off the death of his father, his best friend, and his cousin, he must fight a constant battle against negative community influences such as guns, drugs, lack of opportunity, and cultural stereotypes. On the ruff streets of southeast Fresno, Eddie is just trying to get by. All he wants is to forget his violent past, find and hold down a job, and walk the right path,But after his cousin's murder, Eddie finds himself slowly drawn back into the cycle of violence and going against the scrim of a city sweltering in the grip of poverty, crime, and unfulfilled dreams, this is a story of a young man struggling to survive in a world spiraling out of control.
Dagoberto Gilb was born in Los Angeles in 1950. A mix of gritty humor, mundane terror, and economic misfortune distinguishes his short stories. His life has been neither easy nor subdued, and these influences are reflected in his writing style and choice of subject matter. The short story entitled “Love in L.A.,” by Dagoberto Gilb, shows how one can see many reasons in seeing irony and even satire by the story’s title and how all is stories combine in someway.
Weebly Editors.” Irony in ‘ The VAsk Of Amontillado’ by Edgar Allan Poe. “ Alice English. Portfolio Inc., June 2012. Web. 17 Mar 2014.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "dramatic irony (literature)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. .
Throughout Gary Soto’s successful and eventful life, he claims to have been greatly influenced by the environment he grew up in. He articulates the realities of living in a less privileged Mexican American neighborhood. Many of Soto’s poems are set in San Joaquin Valley, the place where he grew up. One in particular is “The Elements of San Joaquin Valley”, in the first stanza, he states, “The wind sprays pale dirt into my mouth.” He expresses the struggles and hardships of growing up in such an area. Similar themes continue in another poem, “The Drought”, depicting the harsh weather conditions he experienced he writes, “They passed the fields where the trees dried thin as hat racks.” The simile comparing the dried out trees to thin hat racks, aiming to express the extreme dryness and extent of the drought. Gary Soto is half Mexican, and grew up with certain traditions representing his Mexican culture. In an interview, he states, “It's important to me to create and share new stories about my heritage.” He wrote a book called, Too Many Tamales, a children's book based on the traditions and celebrations he celebrated as a kid. Influenced by the events and situations that occurred throughout his lifetime, Gary Soto transfers the experiences into writing pieces, hoping to
Hess, Julie R. "Poe's Use of Irony in "The Cask of Amontillado"." Writing for the Arts and Humanities. December 2, 2005. http://www.webpages.shepherd.edu/jhess02/TheCaskofAmontilladobyPoe.htm (accessed January 30, 2014).
“Love in L.A.” uses irony to teach its readers, showing us that unless we put in the time and effort, we will not reach our goals. Jake wanted better for his life but didn’t want to do what it took to get that better life. Instead of Jake is going for it, he spent all of his time daydreaming and lying instead of growing up and working for it. It is clear Jake has been stuck in this phase of his life for a long time. In fear of loosing his freedom in life, Jake made his life harder than what it needed to
Several literary devices are implemented in the novel to convey the author’s experiences and feelings, thus contributing to the overall appeal of the writing. In his younger years
Wood, Kerry. “ Literary Analysis: Irony in ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ by Edgar Allan Poe.” Humanities 360. Helium, Inc., 9
The popular American Poet, Billy Collins, is playing a significant role in the evolution of poetry. His writing style evokes an array of emotions for the reader. Every stanza in his poetry passes the satirical standard that he generated for himself over his career. Collins swiftly captivates his readers through his diverse use of figurative language. More specifically, his use of vivid imagery paired with humorous personification and extended metaphors create his unique style of satirical poetry. This developed form of writing appeals to a large crowd of people because the generally accessible topics that he discusses are fairly easy to resonate for the common man. However, his poetry offers an interesting perspective on what otherwise would be simplistic ideas. The main themes and concepts that are being presented in each of his writings are revered and coveted by the general population. An appealing aspect of his writing is his ability to directly convey the main idea within the poem. As a result, the reader can understand the meaning of his work with ease. The typical beginning of his work gives the reader a slight taste of what is to come. Billy Collins’ unique writing style and various trademarks directly influenced by his ability to propagate an array of emotions for the reader, his humorous tone, and the accessibility of the topics he describes within his poetry.
All of us pass through adolescence before reaching adulthood. It is a crucial stage in everyone’s life that plays a big role in the adult life. “The Jacket” is a representation of Gary Soto’s adolescent life. It is a short story depicting his hardships as an adolescent as he battled with peer pressure and low self-esteem or lack of confidence caused by the ugly green jacket. The jacket serves as a symbol of his personal battles, growth, maturity, and his readiness to face the cold and harsh challenges in his life.
Humor, along with its various forms, including satire, is often used to present social commentaries. This is especially true in Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In his novel, Twain tells the story of a boy named Huckleberry Finn voyaging down the Mississippi River to free his slave companion, Jim. In doing so, Twain evokes many issues of Southern culture. Through the use of satirical devices, characterization, and story, the author enlightens readers and offers a critique on racism and religion. One of the best, if not the single most important, humorist in American history, Mark Twain, through his satire, paints a portrait of the pre-Civil War American South and all its flaws.
Tolman, Kelly. “Cask of Amontillado Irony.” The Cask of Amontillado. n.p., 21 May 2011. n.pag. Web. 6 Nov. 2011 .
The irony is also an example of showing character appeal. He is showing his attitude toward the society. As the reader reads his humorous and satirical essay, the reader would notice that there is irony everywhere. One example is when the Mark Twain discussed on page 7 paragraph 3 “Be respectful to your superiors, if you have any, also to strangers and sometimes to others.” (7). Even though he is telling the youth to respect your superiors. He also tells the youth that if they are ever offended or think you were offended, hit them with a brick. With that said how is the youth supposed to respect their superiors? Also, he mentions that in paragraph 3 “yes, always avoid violence; in this age of charity and kindliness, the times has gone by for such things,” (7) but he says hit people with bricks. Another example of irony is on page 7 paragraph 5 “you want to be very careful about lying,” (7) but he doesn’t tell the youth not to lie at all. Unlike most elderly people if they were giving advice. Which is very ironic how he is trying to let the youth know that it is appropriate to lie, but don’t get caught. Also, this is what brings me back to the quote “truth is mighty and will prevail.” If the youth are good liars, would this quote be truth? Can the truth over power a lie? That is what Mark Twain is trying to say, with good practice how would you ever get caught? He also refers to the lying
“Dry September” transcends its text of a short story about a trivial situation in a small town to explore the tensions between race and gender that is a substantially widespread problem of modern day society. Through the creative use of irony depicted in the actions and attitudes of the characters, William Faulkner criticizes the outlived and immensely flawed social customs of the South, such as practices of racism, sexism, and violence. In addition to irony, symbolism is a significant rhetorical device in Dry September. One of the main symbols is the idea of dryness in which the novel’s depiction of a parched environment represents the dismal periods of the lives of the characters. In this way, Faulkner paints a background that is representative of his characters, who are buried in a conflict between conforming to social expectations and following their own justified conscience.