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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
Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Deutscher for President:
When Eckels first sees the Time Machine, he imagines using it to escape the results of yesterday's election had the outcome been different. In entertaining the possibility, Eckels foreshadows the irony of the story's ending:
A real Time Machine […] Makes you think. If the election had gone badly yesterday, I might be here now running away from the results. Thank God Keith won. He’ll make a fine President of the United States.
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Explanation and Analysis—The Butterfly Effect:
When Eckels returns to the year 2055, he notices a subtle change in the atmosphere and finds that the English language now uses a different spelling system. After finding the culprit of such changes—a crushed butterfly on the bottom of his shoe—he realizes the irony of his situation:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“Not a little thing like that! Not a butterfly!” cried Eckels. It fell to the floor, an exquisite thing, a small thing that could upset balances and knock down a line of small dominoes and then big dominoes and then gigantic dominoes, all down the years across Time.
Related Themes:
