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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
Chapter 10
Explanation and Analysis—God Wants Girls at Welton:
In Chapter 10, Charlie taunts Headmaster Nolan with a knowing moment of verbal irony, to raucous cheers from his peers:
"Yes, he is, just a moment. Mr. Nolan, it’s for you,” Charlie said with mock seriousness. The dean’s face turned beet-red. “What?” Nolan screeched. Charlie held the receiver out to Nolan. “It’s God. He said we should have girls at Welton[.]"
The students are gathered in the chapel for a meeting addressing the “unauthorized and profane” article Charlie illicitly published advocating for girls at Welton. While Charlie is obviously not on the phone with God, his sarcastic disruption of the meeting clearly communicates his disrespect for Welton's rules and regulations while amusingly protesting Welton's policy against admitting women. The unheralded disturbance of the student-wide meeting with a sarcastic quip directed at the head of school, who has just threatened expulsion, evokes much laughter from his fellow students. The fact that this instance of verbal irony occurs in the very meeting intended to address Charlie's similarly mocking article heightens its significance: Charlie is being as brash and rebellious as possible.
Religion and God are evoked frequently throughout the story, most relatedly when Mr. Keating says “gods were created, gentlemen,” as he describes the Dead Poets Society. Recall also that Headmaster Nolan is compared to a vicar in Chapter One, following a school-wide meeting in this very chapel. Mocking God while inside a chapel is a serious matter indeed, especially for a vaguely religious institution like Welton. Charlie's verbal irony is thus a major step in the ever-growing rebellious attitudes of the Dead Poets Society. The students are beginning to outwardly revolt against Welton, as opposed to merely breaking the rules in secret.
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