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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 34
Explanation and Analysis—Thank You, Shack:
Chapter 34, and the novel itself, ends with an instance of verbal irony:
“Thank you, shack.” Then I added “Blah,” with a little grin, because I knew that shack and that mountain would understand what that meant, and turned and went on down the trail back to this world.
Not only does Ray end with a prayer of gratitude, but he adds an ironic "blah," appearing to undercut the concluding moment in which Ray's religiously-inspired gratitude reaches a climax. The moment is ironic because it jocularly juxtaposes the bittersweet end of summer, and thus Ray's incredibly meaningful, monastic life alone in nature, with a seemingly meaningless phrase.
The verbal irony highlights the amusing nature of the joke—which provokes "a little grin" from Ray—as well as how foreign it is given the import of the moment. The "blah" is exactly as Ray describes it: an inside joke, not for even the reader to understand. It is just for the shack and the mountain. The irony then emphasizes how close Ray has become with nature itself by the end of his retreat. Ray treats the mountain as if it is a person, just as he does the shack, by thanking it. This closeness with nature is further evidence of Ray's spiritual growth.
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