Irony in O’Conner’s Stories
St. Johns River State College
Irony in O’Conner’s Stories:
Irony is a figure of speech in which the intended meaning is the opposite than the literate meaning. Flanner O’Conner’s stories: “Good Country People,” “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” and “Everything That Rises Must Converge,” uses irony to make connections with the characters and literal meanings. In all three stories, O’Conner uses earlier evidence to demonstrate the opposite of their literal truth.
To begin with, O’Conner’s story “Good Country People” uses situational irony. For example, the title of the story is “Good Country People;” Mrs. Freeman’s character does not follow by these guidelines. Mrs. Freeman is quoted to be,”
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The grandmother, who has been scared during the entire story, feels sympathy towards the Misfit. This is supported by the quote,” She saw the man's face twisted close to her own as if he were going to cry and she murmured, "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children!" She reached out and touched him on the shoulder.” Another example of irony is when the grandmother interprets the Misfit’s personality wrong. An example of situational irony is when the grandmother gets shot by three bullets after she becomes truly compassionate and not selfish. This is supported by the quote,” The Misfit sprang back as if a snake had bitten him and shot her three times through the chest.” The title “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” has an ironic twist that is vital towards O’Conner’s moral outlook. The grandmother has two definitions of good when she encounters Sam and Misfit. The grandmother calls Red Sammy a good man because he cheats out of gasoline from two men. This definition of good is related to gullible which the grandmother’s past choices are like. The grandmother calls Misfit a good man because she thinks he will not shoot her since he doesn’t have bad blood in him. This is supported by the quote,” "I just know you're a good man," she said desperately. "You're not a bit common!” The title “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” is an example of dramatic irony …show more content…
An example of dramatic irony is when Julian attempts to talk to African Americans on this bus and both attempts turn out to be awkward conversations. Julian uses the quote,” first-rate education in spite of going to only a third-rate college,” to show that he is superior above everyone because he has a college education. This has dramatic irony because he has no job and financial future since his dependent on his mother but he still thinks his superior above everyone. There is an example of situational irony when his wish of his mother to be punished comes true by her dying and he is one that ends up learning a lesson. This is supported by the quote,” The lights drifted farther away the faster he ran and his feet moved numbly as if they carried him nowhere. The tide of darkness seemed to sweep him back to her, postponing from moment to moment his entry into the world of guilt and sorrow.” Also, O’Conner uses situational irony when Julian imagines himself with a huge mansion and lots of money. This is irony because Julian lives with his mother and doesn’t have a job to make money. Another example of situational irony is when Julian’s mother is wearing the same hat as an African American mother on this bus. Julian thinks that his mother will be mad at the African American woman, but she is actually amused. The examples of irony with Julian supports that he deludes himself
“Good Country People,” is a classic example of the use of irony as a technique for imbuing a story with meaning. Irony works on many different levels through the piece. Examples of this range from O’ Connors use of clearly ironic dialogue to the dramatic irony that unfolds between Manley and Joy-Hulga. However the most obvious examples can be found in O’Connor’s characterization of these, “Good Country People.” The technique of irony is applied prominently to the character’s names and behaviors to present the contradictions between their expectations and their reality. O’Connor uses her characters to explore common notions regarding, “good” and “bad” people. Using their expectations for one another, O’Connor ultimately expose their
Unlike Alanis Morissette, Flannery O’Connor used irony in a much subtler fashion in her work. O’Conner’s unique use of literary tools is one reason she “is considered one of the best short story authors of the 20th century” (Biography.com ). O’Connor ‘s use of irony is especially evident in the short-story “Good Country People.” Equally important is O’Connor’s use of clichés. The typical cliché lacks any substance. Ironically, clichés expressed in “Good Country People” depict abstract ideas. O’Connor’s unique combination of clichés and irony forces readers discern deeper concepts within the text. However, the readers’ ability to grasp these concepts hinges on paying close attention to the character depictions of Mrs. Hopewell, Hulga Hopewell, and Manely Pointer.
Irony, a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result. Throughout Night there is use of situational and verbal irony. This use of irony keeps the reader interested. The use of irony causes the reader to know things that the characters often are not aware of.
Irony is a useful tool for giving stories unexpected turns and twists. In Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," irony is used as a very effective literary tool; to guide the story in and out of what we think will happen. O'Connor uses irony in this story to contradict statements and situations to expose a truth very much different from what "we" the reader would think to be true. O'Connor use irony in several different forms, situational irony, dramatic irony and verbal irony to make the story unpredictable and interesting to read. In most every aspect of the story from beginning to end there is some type of ironic twist. The title itself is some what
He further explains how as a result of people focusing on her status as a grandmother rather than how she behaves, most people dismiss her annoying nagging and racist comments (1). In the text of A Good Man is Hard to Find, when the grandmother and the children are dancing, O’Conner emphasizes how one may see the grandma as a harmless happy person when the grandma asks her son Bailey to dance. He refuses, claiming he does not have a sunny disposition like his mother who is able to just get up and dance. Unfortunately, I must agree with Bandy because it is something most people tend to do, and it is important to beyond a person’s outward appearance.
Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," irony is used as an effective literary device. Situational irony is used to show the reader that what is expected to happen sometimes doesn't. Dramatic irony is used to clue the reader in on something that is happening that the characters in the story do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" through the use of situational irony and the use of dramatic irony.
Irony is the expression of one’s meaning by using language that usually means the opposite. Typically in literature, irony is used in emphatic sense. There is a multitude of irony in “Good Country People.” The character’s names of this story are incredibly ironic. Joy-Hulga is ironic because she is the furthest from being joyful. Another example is, Mrs. Freeman. She is not free because she has been hired and enslaved by Mrs. Hopewell. Another type of irony in “Good Country People” is how Joy-Hulga’s intelligence causes
In "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" O 'Connor uses several kinds of irony to communicate her message about the human condition. The irony of Flannery O’Connor’s story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” may be best summed up best by the line, “I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it” (276). However, this is exactly what she does when she sidetracks the family to a desolate roadside. Verbal irony occurs after the car accident when June Star announces disappointedly, "But nobody 's killed." The story 's dramatic irony centers around the family 's interaction with the Misfit,
O’Connor uses irony to bring humor to her story. For example, Crater says “I wouldn't give her up for nothing on earth” (O’Connor). What she meant was she wouldn’t trade her daughter for anything on earth, but what she really says is she’d trade her daughter for nothing at all. The irony is further shown when Crater does, in fact, give her daughter up for nothing. Shiftlet scammed her of her car and money, and her daughter is left at a diner. She wanted a good man for a son-in-law, but now she doesn’t even have a son-in-law. Another example of irony is when Shiftlet prays for God to clean the world of filth, but he himself is the filth he was asking God to clean.
"Irony is a device that protects him (the artist) from the pain of his experience so that he may use it objectively in his art(Susquehanna. "New Critical")." In The Glass Menagerie, it is ironic how Tom speaks badly of his father and his leaving home but in the end he leaves home just like his father, the man "in love with long distances (Williams 30)''. The fact that Amanda wants what is best for her children is ironic because she worries so much over it that she doesn't realize what is best for them.
The leading lady in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is the bossy grandmother of a traditional, southern family. It is the grandmother’s “final encounter with the Misfit that changes her relations to the world” (Link, "Means, Meaning, and Mediated Space in ‘A Good Man Is Hard to Find’"). Before her unexpected meeting with the Misfit, the grandmother feels above everyone else. She feels like she can talk
This was a great short story for irony, because the grandmother was correct about most things. The grandmother knew not to go towards Florida because The Misfit was headed that way after escaping from the pen. She was right about dressing like a lady in case of an accident, because indeed there was an accident, but she caused the accident by bringing her cat along without anyone knowing. Then there is speak of a good man, is there any such thing? Red Sammy’s wife wouldn’t even think of him as a good man, if your wife doesn’t believe you are no one really can. The Misfit comes along and talks to the grandmother for a while about good people, while doing so shoots her family then her dead. ‘“She would have been a good woman,” The Misfit said, “if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life”’ (O’Connor 293). This goes with my assumption that the grandmother was just acting like a lady, and The Misfit even saw through her
As I read Flannery O’Connor’s short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, I find myself being completely consumed by the rich tale that the author weaves; a tragic and ironic tale that concisely and precisely utilizes irony and foreshadowing with expert skill. As the story progresses, it is readily apparent that the story will end in a tragic and predictable state due to the devices which O’Connor expertly employs and thusly, I find that I cannot stop reading it; the plot grows thicker with every sentence and by doing so, the characters within the story are infinitely real in my mind’s eye. As I consider these factors, the story focuses on two main characters; that of the grandmother, who comes across as self-centered and self-serving and
Which is the reason he is so hateful to his mother when it comes to the subject of race, he feels like he is better and smarter then her, even when some of her motives are pure and not meant to come off as racist or hateful. He brings up the fact that he believes that he is too intelligent to be a success which shows how truly high he views himself. We see irony throughout this story the main example of Irony comes from Julian's view of himself.
Irony is a technique that is used (through a character or plot development) to convey an intention or attitude opposite to what is literally stated. In