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Definition of Verbal Irony
Verbal irony occurs when the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean. When there's a hurricane raging outside and someone remarks "what... read full definition
Verbal irony occurs when the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean. When there's a hurricane raging... read full definition
Verbal irony occurs when the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean... read full definition
Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis—The Man Who Got Hanged:
In Chapter 5, Jack visits the home of the Scholarly Attorney and meets George, the strangest character in the novel and one of the most sympathetic. The Scholarly Attorney tells Jack that George used to be a circus performer, but he was forced to leave. Jack, typically, is curious to know more:
"What was his act?"
"He was the man who got hanged."
"Oh," I said, and looked at George. That accounted for the big neck, no doubt. Then, "Did the apparatus go wrong with him and choke him or something?"
"No," the Scholarly Attorney said, "the whole matter simply grew distasteful to him."
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Delicate Little Root:
In Chapter 5, Jack researches the Irwin case and digs deep into the judge's past. Slowly, he starts to figure out the story of the bribe that got Irwin hired by the American Electric Power Company: "I was not prepared to say that I knew what God and man are, but I was getting ready to make a shrewd guess about a particular man. But just a guess." Jack describes his findings using a delicate metaphor:
Unlock with LitCharts A+I plucked the flower out of its cranny and discovered an astonishing botanical fact. I discovered that its delicate little root, with many loops and kinks, ran all the way to New York City, where it tapped the lush dung heap called the Madison Corporation. The flower in the cranny was the Southern Belle Fuel Company. So I plucked another little flower called the American Electric Power Company, and discovered that its little delicate root tapped the same dung heap.
Related Themes:
