Setting and Irony

In The Necklace, situational irony is used when Mathilde borrows a necklace from Madame Forestier which she believes is worth 18 thousand francs only for it to be revealed later on as artificial and worth far less than she believed it was. This irony emphasizes how much Mathilde had built up this night in her mind and how nothing ever goes according to plan when one wishes for something so grandly; it also serves as a representation of societal class distinctions at the time period in which this story was written - that regardless of what one does they will never be able to rise above their station if born into poverty or lower circumstances (Belsey & Orr). In contrast, Lamb to the Slaughter utilizes verbal irony particularly evident through Mary Maloney's dialogue after learning about Patrick's infidelity where she says “That’s lovely darling! What can I do? Shall I get you another lamb chop?” (Dahl) while planning her revenge against him thus using an innocent act such as feeding him dinner as means of deception. Mary expresses these words sarcastically due to being aware that he has hurt her yet still acts kindly towards him demonstrating an understanding between them without either having explicitly stated it aloud (Hupcey). Both authors rely on various forms of irony throughout their respective stories in order to advance their plots beyond simply telling an unfortunate tale but rather constructing character moments that emphasize themes related specifically related back such as love and betrayal found within The Necklace, or justice achieved through cunningness seen in Lamb To The Slaughter . Even though these tales were written years apart from each other both authors utilized comparable techniques showing just how timeless classic literature truly is Works Cited: Belsey, Andrew & Orr Leonard(2001). Critical Practice 1st edition London; Routledge Classics., pg162-170 Retrieved June 11th 2020 from https://books google .com/books?id=ECi8gRtVYzwC&pg=PA166&lpg=PA166&dq=ironic+elements+in+the+necklace&source=bl&ots=-y2GKxNI6F&sig _fP79hZPb7Eu_0au_HrdOIA#v =onepage&q = ironic%20elements%20in %20the%20necklace & f =false Dahl, Roald (1953), "Lamb To The Slaughter", retrieved June 12th 2020 from http://www3 .csudh edu/andy /engl 482 % 20Fall2006 /LambToTheSlaughter195 3byRoal dD ah l pdf Hupcey , J.(2013) Irony In Literature retrieved July 2nd 2020 from http:/ /study read com/irony-literature

Sample Solution

    The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl are two works of literature that use literary devices to drive their respective plots. Both stories feature a protagonist who is faced with difficult situations and must find a way out. In The Necklace, Mathilde Loisel hopes for a better life but is instead presented with misfortune. In Lamb to the Slaughter, Mary Maloney faces her husband’s unexpected announcement of leaving her. These characters both demonstrate different types of irony in order to drive the plot forward and further illustrate the theme within each story.