Previous
Imagery
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—Poor Little Hubby:
When Mrs. Kernan brings a tray of beer for her husband’s friends who are visiting their home, her husband asks her what she’s brought for him, using verbal irony in the process:
Her husband called out to her:
—And have you nothing for me, duckie?
—O, you! The back of my hand to you! said Mrs Kernan tartly.
Her husband called after her:
—Nothing for poor little hubby!
He assumed such a comical face and voice that the distribution of the bottles of stout took place amid general merriment.
Kernan referring to himself as “poor little hubby” is an example of verbal irony because he, his wife, and all of his friends know that he should not be drinking beer in this moment. Not only is he an alcoholic, but the reason that his friends are all visiting him is because he drunkenly fell down the stairs at a pub the night before and injured himself, forcing his wife to drop everything and take care of him. That Kernan “assume[s] such a comical face and voice”—and that his comment leads to “general merriment”—shows that he is intentionally feigning innocence for comedic effect. In other words, he knows that he is not a "poor little hubby" in this situation.
This moment is significant because it shows how, when compared to Kernan and the friends huddled around him laughing at his jokes, Mrs. Kernan is quite isolated. While the men in the story get to drink together, support one another, and have fun, Mrs. Kernan is serving them and spending time alone.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Incorrect Papal Mottos:
In an example of situational irony, Kernan’s friends try to impress him (and each other) by sharing their knowledge of Catholicism, only to get their facts extremely wrong. In the following passage, for example, the men make several incorrect claims about papal mottos:
—So he was, said Mr Cunningham, if not the most so. His motto, you know, as Pope, was Lux upon Lux—Light upon Light.
—No, no, said Mr Fogarty eagerly. I think you’re wrong there. It was Lux in Tenebris, I think—Light in Darkness.
—O yes, said Mr M’Coy, Tenebrae.
—Allow me, said Mr Cunningham positively, it was Lux upon Lux. And Pius IX. his predecessor’s motto was Crux upon Crux that is, Cross upon Cross—to show the difference between their two pontificates.
The first incorrect claims here are that the motto of Pope Leo XIII was “lux upon lux” and that of Pope Pius IX was “crux upon crux.” These are blatantly incorrect, as the phrases combine Latin words (lux and crux) with an English word (“upon”), whereas most mottos would be entirely in one language. The rest of the conversation features the men seemingly reciting any phrases they’ve heard in Latin, despite the fact that they do not correspond to the popes they are discussing.
This moment highlights the absurdity of these men “leading” Kernan toward the Catholic Church (and toward spiritual clarity). They are clearly ill-informed and care more about debating papal mottos than discussing Catholic tenets that might help Kernan in preparing for his retreat and potential sobriety, such as grace and redemption.
Related Themes:
