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Similes
Key Examples in Spunk
Situational Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Spunk’s Death:
Spunk’s death at the hands of the circle-saw is an example of situational irony for a few different reasons. First, as Elijah notes on the very first page of the story, Spunk is the only employee at the saw-mill unafraid of the circle-saw:
“But that’s one thing Ah likes about Spunk Banks—he ain’t skeered of nothin’ on God’s green footstool—nothin’! He rides that log down at saw-mill jus’ like he struts ’round wid another man’s wife—jus’ don’t give a kitty. When Tes’ Miller got cut to giblets on that circle-saw, Spunk steps right up and starts ridin’. The rest of us was skeered to go near it.”
Related Themes:
