All 9 Uses of
irony
in
Nineteen Minutes
- He wondered, briefly, if she was a doctor. He thought about the irony of that: First, do no harm. She didn't look like a person who'd created a monster,
Chpt 1 *irony = when things are together that seem like they don't belong together
- Peter finished his hundredth sit-up-the irony was that after a month, he was so much stronger that he could probably have kicked Matt Royston's and Drew Girard's asses simultaneously-and sat down on his bunk with the commissary form.†
Chpt 1irony = when what happens is very different than what might be expected; or when things are together that seem like they don't belong together
- It had been a great irony for her, given Lewis's job.†
Chpt 1
- The great irony hadn't escaped Alex: she was more like her father than he ever might have guessed.†
Chpt 1
- In a fit of high school irony, the principal of Sterling High had placed the Bible Study Club next door to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance.†
Chpt 1
- Here was the irony: she wasn't a bridge at all; she'd completely crossed over to become part of her group.†
Chpt 1
- It was kind of like a jail, and she wondered if the policemen inside ever thought about that irony.†
Chpt 1
- They'd spent the day playing hangman-the irony of which, given her son's fate, wasn't lost on her.†
Chpt 2
- The great irony here, Alex knew, was that months ago when she'd fought so hard to be the judge on this case, it was because she felt more at ease offering legal comfort to her daughter than emotional comfort.†
Chpt 2
Definitions:
-
(1)
(irony as in: situational irony) when what happens is very different than what might be expected; or when things are together that seem like they don't belong together -- especially when amusing or an entertaining coincidenceThis is sometimes referred to as "situational irony." The term is especially appropriate when actions have consequences opposite to those intended.
The expression ironic smile, generally references someone smiling at situational irony.
All forms of irony involve the perception that things are not what they might seem. -
(2)
(irony as in: verbal irony) saying one thing, while meaning the opposite or something else -- usually as humor or sarcasm
(With this type of irony, it's not uncommon for the words to say one thing while the tone-of-voice and/or context says another.)This is sometimes referred to as "verbal irony."
All forms of irony involve the perception that things are not what they are said to be or what they might seem. -
(3)
(irony as in: dramatic irony) when the meaning of a situation is understood by one person, but not by another -- especially when a reader or audience knows what characters of a story do not (such as in the play, Romeo and Juliet)All forms of irony involve the perception that things are not what they are said to be or what they seem.
-
(4)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Less commonly, Socratic irony is where someone pretends ignorance to get another to think through a problem. This is named after the Socratic method of teaching.
Less commonly still, some also refer to romantic irony as when an author reminds the audience that the fictional words is the author's creation and will play out as the author desires.