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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
Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis—Origin Stories:
In the novel's early chapters, both Enoch and Hazel lie to other characters about where they come from. These moments of dramatic irony bring about important characterization and signal to the reader that the main characters aren't entirely trustworthy.
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Chapter 6
Explanation and Analysis—Such a Good Car:
Despite all evidence pointing to the contrary, Hazel is certain that his car is of the utmost quality. This conviction brings about dramatic irony, as it's clear to the reader (and many of the other characters) that the car is falling apart. When Hazel visits a mechanic at the end of Chapter 6, the mechanic more or less tells Hazel this, so Hazel goes to another mechanic. The second mechanic hyperbolically sings the car's praises, making Hazel content and the reader skeptical:
Unlock with LitCharts A+At the other garage he went to, there was a man who said he could put the car in the best shape overnight, because it was such a good car to begin with, so well put together and with such good materials in it, and because, he added, he was the best mechanic in town, working in the best-equipped shop. Haze left it with him, certain that it was in honest hands.
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Explanation and Analysis—Fake Blindness:
When Hazel meets Asa Hawks in Chapter 3, he becomes fixated on the preacher's blindness. In Chapter 6, the reader learns that Hawks feigns his blindness, and O'Connor offers the back story of the "fake blind man." This and later chapters are marked by dramatic irony, as Hazel remains attached to Hawks' blindness without realizing that it's all an act. Finally, at the end of Chapter 9, Hazel discovers the truth about Hawks' eyesight.
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Chapter 9
Explanation and Analysis—Prophets and Profits:
As a character, Onnie-Jay sheds light on the intersection—and collision—between religion and moneymaking. Interspersing his dialogue with alliteration, oxymoron, and irony, O'Connor characterizes Onnie-Jay as a scam artist. He also acts as a foil for the brooding, tormented Hazel. Onnie-Jay provides comic relief but also shows that the aim of making money off of religious activities doesn't tend to coexist with sincere faith.
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Chapter 13
Explanation and Analysis—Prophets and Profits:
As a character, Onnie-Jay sheds light on the intersection—and collision—between religion and moneymaking. Interspersing his dialogue with alliteration, oxymoron, and irony, O'Connor characterizes Onnie-Jay as a scam artist. He also acts as a foil for the brooding, tormented Hazel. Onnie-Jay provides comic relief but also shows that the aim of making money off of religious activities doesn't tend to coexist with sincere faith.
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