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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 In the Time of the Butterflies
Chapter 1: Dedé, 1994 and circa 1943
Explanation and Analysis—Life Insurance?:
Minerva's daughter Minou, who was raised by Dedé and Mamá following Minerva's death, rightfully recognizes the irony of Dedé's profession in Chapter 1:
Her niece Minou has noted more than once the irony of Dedé’s “new” profession, actually embarked upon a decade ago, after her divorce. She is the company’s top life insurance salesperson. Everyone wants to buy a policy from the woman who just missed being killed along with her three sisters.
Related Themes:
Chapter 5: Dedé, 1994 and 1948
Explanation and Analysis—Life Insurance:
In Chapter 5, Dedé ironically refers to attending a party event as life insurance decades before selling life insurance became her chosen profession:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Dedé prodded her with an elbow and whispered, “Think of it as life insurance.” The irony of it—she had been practicing for her future profession!
Related Themes:
