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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
Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Mr. Shi's Job:
One example of irony occurs when Mr. Shi tells Madame about his job as a rocket scientist. His perception and narration of the situation turn out to be vastly different from reality. He recalls:
I worked hard during the day, and at night I couldn’t stop thinking about my work. Everything was confidential so I couldn’t talk to my family about what I was thinking about. But the wife, she was the most understanding woman in the world. …I should’ve left my working self in the office. I was too young to understand that. Now the daughter, she doesn’t have anything to say to me.
One major point of irony is that while Mr. Shi may have worked hard, he did not work hard at being a rocket scientist. Mr. Shi reveals at the end of the story that he had been demoted from his position as a rocket scientist as punishment for not admitting his emotional affair with his co-worker, Yilan. As a result, he was given the lowest rank among his peers, which consisted of decorating the offices and wheeling in supplies. But here, Mr. Shi pretends that his job is very confidential and laborious.
Another point of irony is when Mr. Shi believes his wife to be very understanding of his situation. In reality, his wife knows about his demotion and affair. Her quietness stems not from acceptance, but from knowledge of his lies and wanting him to admit them.
The last bit of irony is when Mr. Shi believes that his daughter has nothing to say to him as a result of his being too busy. Actually, it is out of anger and resentment that Mr. Shi's daughter does not want to talk to him. She, too, knows of his lies. Decades later when Mr. Shi and his daughter are fighting, she reveals this knowledge. The irony in Mr. Shi's perception of his past shows how one perspective does not always capture the whole story.
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Explanation and Analysis—What Talking is:
In "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers," irony is shown through Mr. Shi's conversation with his daughter. Mr. Shi wishes that his daughter would talk to him more, but only if their conversation goes a certain way. He says:
“Your mother wouldn’t be so confrontational.”
“Baba, first you accused me of being too quiet. I start to talk, and you are saying I’m talking in a wrong way.”
“Talking is not only asking questions. Talking is you telling people how you feel about them, and inviting them to tell you how they feel about you.”
Mr. Shi believes that his daughter should not be so confrontational, even when he himself has been confrontational. Confrontation is shown when he questions his daughter about her marriage and berates her for being disloyal to her husband. Therefore, it is ironic that while Mr. Shi behaves confrontationally, he cannot take confrontation directed at himself.
Further, Mr. Shi’s definition of talking is being up front about one’s feelings and inviting the other person to also be up front. Yet, because he was raised with the traditional view that women should not be direct, Mr. Shi expects conversation with his daughter to be more deferential. When he is greeted instead by his daughter's directed questions, Mr. Shi is offended and therefore cannot see the irony in his statement.
Here, Mr. Shi's conversation with his daughter highlights double standards between men and women in traditional Chinese culture. The irony in his demands can be looked at as a critique of the traditional Chinese belief that women should be submissive.
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Explanation and Analysis—The Daughter vs. Madam:
"A Thousand Years of Good Prayers" often narrates Mr. Shi's thoughts in a stream-of-consciousness style, allowing readers insight into his mind. Here is one example:
Mr. Shi looks at Madam, her face brightened by her talking and laughing, and almost envies her for the energy that his daughter, forty years younger, does not possess. For the day Madame wears a bright orange blouse with prints of purple monkeys. [...] A displaced woman she is, but no doubt happily displaced. [...] A lucky man, he is, too, despite all the big and small imperfections. How extraordinary, Mr. Shi thinks, that Madam and he, from different worlds and with different languages, have this opportunity to sit and talk in the autumn sunshine.
His stream of consciousness hints at his sadness regarding his daughter's situation. After the lack of conversation with his daughter the night before, Mr. Shi laments to Madam about his daughter's divorce. He believes that his daughter is unhappy about her divorce and sees his daughter's lack of energy in contrast to Madam's vitality. The description of Madam's attire paints her as someone carefree and happy—again, the opposite of what Mr. Shi views his daughter as. Nevertheless, Madam's openness and energy is contagious. Mr. Shi reflects on the extraordinary fact that, while he and Madam are from different cultures, they are able to communicate. On the other hand, what is ironic is that though Mr. Shi views his daughter as having the same culture and world that he does, they are still unable to understand each other.
Another point of irony is that Mr. Shi's daughter is not as unhappy as he believes. Mr. Shi believes that his daughter's sense of unhappiness is due to her divorce. He believes his daughter to be a good wife and reasons that the divorce cannot be her fault. In reality, she is happy about the divorce because she was the one who wanted it. The unhappiness that she displays is in actuality towards Mr. Shi, stemming from her resentment of his lies.
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