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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 2: Blithedale
Explanation and Analysis—"Blithedale":
The name Blithedale evokes a happy community, but there is very little "blitheness" in Hawthorne's fictional world. Coverdale encapsulates this irony in his commentary in Chapter 2, which combines dialogue and narration:
“How pleasant it is!” remarked I, while the snow-flakes flew into my mouth, the moment it was opened. “How very mild and balmy is this country-air!”
Here Coverdale uses verbal irony, which expresses his meaning in words that mean the opposite of what he thinks and feels. In spite of the driving snowstorm, he calls the weather "pleasant" and "mild and balmy." As he describes snowflakes flying into his mouth, he insists on the perfection of the country air. This humorous moment reminds the reader that not everything in Blithedale is (or will be) perfect. The snowstorm itself represents the bitter difficulties of trying to start a socialist utopian community, and its presence at the very beginning of the novel establishes this possibility.
In the following chapter, Zenobia echoes Coverdale's frustration in more straightforward terms, saying that their project has yet to resemble Paradise due to the weather. As the story continues, the reader discovers that the weather was the least of Blithedale's problems. In the end, not only is there violence and volatility in the community, but there is also a love triangle that eventually results in Zenobia's suicide.
Readers should also note the significance and connection of Blithedale's name to the author's real-life experience. This ironic title reflects the fact that Hawthorne visited a similar community and found it to be a failed experiment. His main motivation to write this novel was to demonstrate the dangers of trying to create a socialist utopia. "Blithe" means happy and carefree, but the inhabitants of Blithedale find themselves overwhelmed with unhappiness and worry at every turn. This irony enhances Hawthorne's message that humans will have very little success in creating a perfect collective that draws upon group labor while protecting individual interests.
Related Themes:
