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Hyperbole
Definition of Irony
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... read full definition
Key Examples in The Little Prince
Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis—The Plight of Grown-Ups:
Recalling his encounter with the little prince, the narrator hypothesizes that the little prince came from Asteroid B-612. The narrator claims that adults need numbers like this in order to believe, which he further explains with an example of verbal irony:
If you tell grown-ups, "I saw a beautiful red brick house, with geraniums at the windows and doves on the roof...," they won't be able to imagine such a house. You have to tell them, "I saw a house worth a hundred thousand francs." Then they exclaim, "What a pretty house!"
Related Themes:
Chapter 15
Explanation and Analysis—The Geographer:
On his travels, the little prince meets a geographer, whose profession is defined by situational irony:
Unlock with LitCharts A+"I'm a geographer," the old gentleman answered.
"And what's a geographer?"
"A scholar who knows where the seas are, and the rivers, the cities, the mountains, and the deserts."
[...] "Your planet is very beautiful," he said. "Does it have any oceans?"
"I couldn't say," said the geographer.
[...] "And cities and rivers and deserts?"
"I couldn't tell you that, either," the geographer said.
"But you're a geographer!"
"That's right," said the geographer, "but I'm not an explorer. There's not one explorer on my planet."
Related Themes:
Chapter 19
Explanation and Analysis—The Echo:
When the little prince travels to Earth, he can find no people, only a snake, a fox, and some flowers. The story uses dramatic irony to illustrate his true solitude amidst the mountains:
Unlock with LitCharts A+"Who are you?" asked the little prince.
"Who are you... who are you... who are you...," the echo answered.
"Let's be friends. I'm lonely," he said.
"I'm lonely... I'm lonely... I'm lonely...," the echo answered.
What a peculiar planet! he thought. It's all dry and sharp and hard. And people here have no imagination. They repeat whatever you say to them. Where I live I had a flower: She always spoke first...
Related Themes:
