Situational irony can be defined as when we as readers are
led to believe that one thing is going to happen only to be shocked and surprised when
something entirely different or the opposite of what we expect takes place. Situational
irony seems to be used by authors to remind us as readers that it is often chance or the
unexpected that has the last word in life. O. Henry in this classic short story
therefore used situational irony to create an unforgettable and shocking ending, when we
realise that both Jim and Della have sacrificed their most valuable possessions to buy
something for the other to use with their most valuable possession - Della's hair and
Jim's pocket watch, respectively:
For there lay The Combs - the set of combs, side
and back, that Della had worshipped for long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure
tortoise shell, with jewelled rims - just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished
hair. They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned
over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses
that should have adorned the coveted adornments were
gone.
This is the situational
irony in this story - Della finally has been given the combs that she has desired for so
long, but only when she is not in a position to use them, for she has cut her
hair.
No comments:
Post a Comment