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Imagery
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 7
Explanation and Analysis—Who Punctured the Tires?:
In an example of dramatic irony from Chapter 7, Luciano makes a profit off of scamming a passerby:
He went to the store and came out with a handful of sharp nails and threw them into the road. An automobile appeared and burst a tire. My brother ran out with his tools, knelt by the damaged tire, and began fixing it. When it was repaired the man at the wheel gave him ten centavos, and Luciano laughed guiltily when he put it in his pocket.
Chapter 9
Explanation and Analysis—Cigars and Lung Problems:
In Chapter 9, Carlos's brother Luciano enters politics while he (Luciano) gets sicker. The narrative presents his circumstances in an instance of situational irony:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Luciano was getting deeper in local politics. He was receiving twenty-four pesos from the United States government, but he spent most of it on his doctor because his lungs were becoming worse. With what he had left he bought cigars and cigarettes for the loafers in the presidencia.
Chapter 29
Explanation and Analysis—Marian's Fainting Spell:
In an example of situational irony from Chapter 29, Marian apologizes profusely to Carlos for fainting while they were out:
Unlock with LitCharts A+It was when we were crossing the street toward my hotel that she fainted. I gathered her in my arms, put her on my bed, and called a doctor.... I could not sleep when Marian was gone. I went to the doctor’s office early the next morning. Marian was sitting up in bed. “It was foolish of me to faint last night,” she said apologetically. “It was such a lovely evening.”
Chapter 41
Explanation and Analysis—The Rug:
In Chapter 41, Carlos goes to the house of a rich American woman who offers him the opportunity to host a CPFR party in her home. Halfway through their conversation, however, she shuttles him into the kitchen and makes sure that he is not seen. His pride is hurt, but—in an instance of situational irony—he finds himself drawn to the trappings of her wealth:
Unlock with LitCharts A+But it was strange that when I emerged from the house, I thought of the white rug in the living room with yearning. There was a comforting, delicious feeling in me. As I walked farther from it, I was possessed by a strong desire to buy a rug like it someday.
Related Themes:
