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Definition of Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given situation, and that of the... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a... read full definition
Chapter 11
Explanation and Analysis—Mr. Freeman:
In Chapter 11, Angelou remembers the first time that Mr. Freeman sexually assaulted her. At the time, being eight years old, she did not understand what was happening to her. What results is an important example of dramatic irony:
Finally [Mr. Freeman] was quiet, and then came the nice part. He held me so softly that I wished he wouldn't ever let me go. I felt at home. From the way he was holding me I knew he'd never let me go or let anything bad happen to me. This was probably my real father and we had found each other at last.
Mr. Freeman is in the process of raping Angelou in this passage, a fact that most readers will pick up on from the few context clues provided. Angelou chooses to write this passage from the limited perspective of her younger self, who is unaware of what is happening to her (unlike the audience). A young Angelou takes simple comfort from the physical closeness of an adult she believes is "safe," one whom she trusts to not "let anything bad happen" to her. There is tragic irony in the fact that, even as she attests to her comfort and sense of safety, readers know Angelou is being violated.
Related Themes:
