Definition of Irony
At the story’s powerful end, Laura’s brother Laurie tries to comfort her after he sees her crying on the road:
Laurie put his arm round her shoulder. “Don’t cry,” he said in his warm, loving voice. “Was it awful?”
“No,” sobbed Laura. “It was simply marvellous.”
Mansfield uses verbal irony to highlight the Sheridan family’s emotional detachment and ignorance:
Unlock with LitCharts A+[Jose] looked mournfully and enigmatically at her mother and Laura as they came in.
This Life is Wee-ary
A Tear—a Sigh.
A Love that Chan-ges,
This Life is Wee-ary,
A Tear—a Sigh.
A Love that Chan-ges,
And then … Good-bye!
But at the word “Good-bye,” and although the piano sounded more desperate than ever, her face broke into a brilliant, dreadfully unsympathetic smile. “Aren’t I in good voice, mummy?” she beamed.