DevicesIntermediate
Irony
A gap between what is said or shown and what is meant or true.
Principle
Irony names the distance the reader must cross.
Takeaways
- Verbal irony: the speaker means the opposite.
- Dramatic irony: the reader knows what the character does not.
- Situational irony: the outcome violates the implied expectation.
Overview
Irony in its broadest sense is a gap between surface and substance. It depends on the reader noticing that something else is happening underneath the visible surface.
Examples
- A character says they trust the reader the moment we suspect them.
- A warning is mocked by the very person it concerns.
- A safety device causes the death.