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Literary Devices
Definition of Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given situation, and that of the... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a... read full definition
Dramatic Irony
Explanation and Analysis:
While Hester possesses some motherly intuition, she is unaware of her son's gambling habits until they result in his death at the end of "The Rocking-Horse Winner." Hester's ignorance in this regard creates moments of dramatic irony, in which the reader knows crucial information about Hester's family that Hester herself does not. Speaking to her son, Hester observes:
My family has been a gambling family, and you won't know till you grow up how much damage it has done. But it has done damage.
Related Themes:
