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Definition of Verbal Irony
Verbal irony occurs when the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean. When there's a hurricane raging outside and someone remarks "what... read full definition
Verbal irony occurs when the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean. When there's a hurricane raging... read full definition
Verbal irony occurs when the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean... read full definition
Scene 1
Explanation and Analysis—Liquor Goes Fast:
A moment of verbal irony occurs when Stanley picks up and inspects the bottle of whiskey that Blanche has been drinking from after arriving in New Orleans. As he holds the bottle up to the light, he comments:
STANLEY: Liquor goes fast in hot weather.
[He holds the bottle to the light to observe its depletion]
This statement, while seemingly innocuous, actually carries some significant weight under the circumstances. Stanley’s remark is verbally ironic because both he and Blanche understand the true implication of his words. He knows—and she knows he knows—that Blanche has been drinking heavily. Yet, at this early stage they are both still willing to engage in pretending the liquor disappearing is a surprising phenomenon of the hot weather. They can laugh about it together without acknowledging what they both know is really going on. Despite her attempts to maintain an image of delicate propriety, Stanley is warning Blanche that he isn’t fooled for a moment.
Stanley uses this observation to subtly communicate to Blanche that he sees through her attempts to flirt and deceive. As the play progresses, Stanley uses moments like this to subtly warn her that he’s onto her. He becomes less and less subtle as time passes, which shows his increasing comfortableness with asserting dominance over Blanche.
Related Themes:
Scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—50% Illusion:
During the interaction in Scene 2 where she’s being interrogated about the Belle Reve papers, Blanche teasingly (and ironically) “admits” to her tendency to deceive people. She does so by making a general statement about how women behave:
BLANCHE: I know I fib a good deal. After all, a woman's charm is fifty percent illusion.
Blanche represents an outdated version of the “Southern belle” archetype, a trope of delicate, embattled femininity that invokes the cultural norms of the pre-emancipation South. The “Southern belle” is a genteel, feminine ideal associated with 19th-century gender roles. She is often depicted as graceful, well-mannered, and devoted to modesty and etiquette. This archetype romanticizes a bygone era of plantation life, one in which women had little power and were valued primarily as mothers and ornaments. Being “charming” was a way of surviving in a world which devalued their intelligence.
Blanche, however, is not in either the social or the physical condition to rely on the way she’s been taught to behave. Acting like a “belle” is all she’s got, so her “charm” relies heavily on creating illusions. In fact, these “fibs” make up much more than the “fifty percent” of her appeal she mentions. She knows she’s aging and is not as attractive as she once was to men. The statement she makes here is intended to disarm Stanley, whom she already suspects isn’t amused by her. She knows what she’s saying isn’t going to provoke a response based on its truth. Her comment seeks to provoke a reaction: she wants him to challenge her claim that her charms are based on lies. She’s startled and disoriented when Stanley agrees with her. Because her relationships with men are based on manipulation, when this “Southern belle’s” tactics don’t work, she’s unsure how to proceed.
Related Themes:
