The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: Verbal Irony 1 key example

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 2 - Why Chicken Means So Much to Me
Explanation and Analysis—Two-Cent Bullet:

The novel is much more than an argument for social justice, but it frequently uses pathos to demonstrate to readers the unfair emotional and developmental toll of poverty. In Chapter 2, when Junior's father kills Oscar, Alexie uses verbal irony to create a sense of pathos:

I wanted to run faster than the speed of sound, but nobody, no matter how much pain they’re in, can run that fast. So I heard the boom of my father’s rifle when he shot my best friend.

A bullet only costs about two cents, and anybody can afford that.