An example of verbal irony that shows up throughout the story is Al and Max’s use of the phrase “bright boy” when referring to both George and Nick. The irony comes across best in the first instance in which the men use the term, as seen in the following passage:
“What do you do here nights?” Al asked.
“They eat the dinner,” his friend said. “They all come here and eat the big dinner.”
“That’s right,” George said.
“So you think that’s right?” Al asked George.
“Sure.”
“You’re a pretty bright boy, aren’t you?”
“Sure,” said George.
“Well, you’re not,” said the other little man. “Is he, Al?”
“He’s dumb,” said Al. He turned to Nick. “What’s your name?”
“Adams.”
“Another bright boy,” Al said. “Ain’t he a bright boy, Max?”
“The town’s full of bright boys,” Max said.
It is obvious in this passage that Al is being sarcastic when he calls George a “bright boy,” as he does so after George simply describes how, at night, the people of Summit come to the diner to eat dinner (not a particularly insightful statement). The sarcasm becomes even more clear when, after George is needled into affirming that he also believes himself to be bright, Max says, “Well, you’re not” and Al also says, “He’s dumb.” In this way, it is obvious that the two men are using the phrase to mock the man who they actually consider to be beneath them. That the men go on to call Nick a “bright boy” simply for telling them his last name again highlights how the men are using the phrase facetiously.
The hitmen’s use of the phrase “boy” here is one of the ways that they challenge their hostages’ masculinity—especially that of George, who is likely older than the two men. That said, Max and Al’s reliance on petty nicknames to be intimidating demonstrates that they are actually the ones acting boyish and immature.
Max and Al use verbal irony throughout the story in order to demean the town of Summit and its inhabitants (including George, Sam, and Nick). In the following passage, for example, they sarcastically refer to Summit as a “hot town”:
“Got anything to drink?” Al asked.
“Silver beer, bevo, ginger-ale,” George said.
“I mean you got anything to drink?”
“Just those I said.”
“This is a hot town,” said the other. “What do they call it?”
“Summit.”
“Ever hear of it?” Al asked his friend.
“No,” said the friend.
Al describing Summit as a “hot town” here is an example of verbal irony because he actually thinks the opposite. This is because he was expecting (or hoping) that the diner would have alcohol and is frustrated when George refuses to serve him a hard drink. (Because of Prohibition, it was illegal for establishments like this to serve alcohol at the time.) Al demonstrates his annoyance over the lack of liquor by facetiously asking Max if Max had ever heard of Summit, setting his friend up to respond “no” and further their disparagement of the town.
Here, the hitmen’s expectations of drinking are dashed by the reality that the diner cannot give them what they want. It is notable that Hemingway doesn’t actually tell readers whether or not there is alcohol in the diner, only that George refuses to serve it to Max and Al. He leaves open the possibility that George is simply not intimidated enough by the men to give them what they want (especially when it is illegal to do so).
