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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
Key Examples in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Chapter 10
Explanation and Analysis—Gold-Rush Town:
In Chapter 10, Angelou utilizes verbal irony in her initial portrayal of St. Louis:
The Negro section of St. Louis in the mid-thirties had all the finesse of a gold-rush town. Prohibition, gambling, and their related vocations were so obviously practiced that it was hard for me to believe that they were against the law.
Related Themes:
Chapter 11
Explanation and Analysis—Mr. Freeman:
In Chapter 11, Angelou remembers the first time that Mr. Freeman sexually assaulted her. At the time, being eight years old, she did not understand what was happening to her. What results is an important example of dramatic irony:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Finally [Mr. Freeman] was quiet, and then came the nice part. He held me so softly that I wished he wouldn't ever let me go. I felt at home. From the way he was holding me I knew he'd never let me go or let anything bad happen to me. This was probably my real father and we had found each other at last.
Related Themes:
Chapter 13
Explanation and Analysis—Rape and Trauma:
In Chapter 13, Angelou describes the behavior and attitudes of the nurses who care for her following her rape. Notably, these nurses seem to subconsciously equate the act of rape with that of consensual sexual intercourse. This attitude imprints itself on young Maya Angelou, affecting her perception of the assault. In an example of situational irony, Angelou echoes the nurses' sentiments, comparing her own rape to puberty:
Unlock with LitCharts A+I was eight, and grown. Even the nurses in the hospital had told me that now I had nothing to fear. "The worst is over for you," they had said. So I put the words in all the smirking mouths.
Related Themes:
