Previous
Hyperbole
Definition of Irony
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... read full definition
Chapter 13
Explanation and Analysis—Water for Water:
Nya briefly encounters situational irony in the beginning of Chapter 13 as she watches the construction crews drill deep into the village’s former gathering space:
Nya thought it was funny: You had to have water to find water. Water had to be flowing constantly into the borehole to keep the drill running smoothly.
Related Themes:
Chapter 17
Explanation and Analysis—Who Are You?:
A Long Walk to Water’s most heartfelt scene arrives with a drumroll of dramatic irony. By the time Salva sidles up to his father’s bed in the clinic during Chapter 17, the story feels heavy with expectation:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Salva stood at the foot of one of the beds in the crowded clinic.
“Hello,” he said.
“Hello,” the patient replied politely.
“I have come to visit you," Salva said.
“To visit me?” The man frowned. "But who are you?”
Related Themes:
Chapter 18
Explanation and Analysis—Dinka and Nuer:
A Long Walk to Water closes with heartwarming situational irony in Chapter 18. With the water pump’s construction complete, Nya learns more about the site’s construction leader and stumbles into a surprise:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The Dinka and the Nuer were enemies—had been for hundreds of years.
“Why would a Dinka bring water to us?” she wondered aloud.
“I heard Uncle and Father talking about him,” Dep said.
“He has drilled many wells for his own people. This year he decided to drill for the Nuer as well.”
Related Themes:
