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Unreliable Narrator
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 3
Explanation and Analysis—Alice's Virtues:
In the following passage from Chapter 3, Steinbeck narrates Cyrus Trask's thought process, attempting to deduce his reasons for marrying Alice. Cyrus's views on family and women are typical for a man of his time period, and Steinbeck uses verbal irony to highlight their ridiculousness:
Alice Trask had a number of admirable qualities . . . . She was not very pretty, so there was no need to watch her. . . . Whether she liked children or not no one ever knew. She was not asked, and she never said anything unless she was asked. From Cyrus' point of view this was possibly the greatest of her virtues.
Related Themes:
Chapter 8
Explanation and Analysis—Freedom and Sex:
In the following excerpt from Chapter 8, the narrator speculates on sexuality and humanity in an attempt to reveal aspects of Cathy's character to readers. In this discussion, the narrator uses verbal irony as a device for critique:
Unlock with LitCharts A+What freedom men and women could have, were they not constantly tricked and trapped and enslaved and tortured by their sexuality! The only drawback in that freedom is that without it one would not be a human. One would be a monster.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Tannery Workers:
In the following passage from Chapter 8, the narrator discusses Mr. Ames's murder, as well as his employee's response. As is stylistically typical for Steinbeck, the passage employs verbal irony and contradiction, implying different conclusions about the employees than those that are directly stated:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Since the owner's house was burned and the owner ostensibly burned with it, the employees of the tannery, out of respect, did not go to work. They hung around the burned house, offering to help in any way they could, feeling official and generally getting in the way.
Related Themes:
