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Allusions
Definition of Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given situation, and that of the... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a... read full definition
Key Examples in Cannery Row
Chapter 11
Explanation and Analysis—Infinity of Possibility:
When Lee Chong's car breaks down on the way to collect frogs for Doc, Gay runs off to find a replacement part and never returns. While Mack and the boys wonder when Gay will return, the fact that he will not return is revealed to the reader in a moment of dramatic irony:
Oh, the infinity of possibility! How could it happen that the car that picked up Gay broke down before it got into Monterey? If Gay had not been a mechanic, he would not have fixed the car. If he had not fixed it the owner wouldn’t have taken him to Jimmy Brucia’s for a drink. And why was it Jimmy’s birthday? Out of all the possibilities in the world—the millions of them—only events occurred that lead to the Salinas jail.... unrelated, irrelevant details and yet all running in one direction.
Related Themes:
