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Motifs
Definition of Paradox
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar Wilde's famous declaration that "Life is... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel... read full definition
Book 1: Matchmaking
Explanation and Analysis—Vitality:
In an example of paradox from Chapter 2, Cal/lie describes their grandmother Desdemonda's attitude in her old age:
Years later, in [Desdemona’s] widowhood, when she’d spend a decade in bed trying with great vitality to die, she would finally agree that those two years between wars half a century earlier had been the only decent time in her life.
Related Themes:
Book 1: An Immodest Proposal
Explanation and Analysis—Hilarity:
In the following example of paradox from Chapter 3, Cal/lie lends an offbeat, somewhat irreverent tone to their narration, surprising the reader in the midst of an otherwise disturbing scene:
Unlock with LitCharts A+All the lamps were on now. The living room was bright. Toukhie was sitting on the sofa, waiting for him. Her head had fallen backward as though in hilarity, the angle opening the wound so that a section of windpipe gleamed.
