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—Death and the Red Light:
Although the red light is meant to signal approaching trains and is part of a safety system intended to prevent railway accidents, the signalman ironically dies near the red light, and assumedly, partially because of the red light. The story describes this positioning:
“He had struck the light, and had the lamp in his hand. As the engine came out of the tunnel, his back was towards her, and she cut him down.”
Dickens’s use of irony here highlights how attempts to ascertain certainty or gain control over death are futile and sometimes even fatal endeavors. The signalman's attempts to change fate and stop a tragedy, as he was likely by the light to try to figure out more about the ghost's warning, were ultimately his demise. There is an additional layer of irony in the signalman's actions possibly causing his death, as he was previously passive in response to the events that led him to his bleak profession; however, the one time he tried to change his fate, he suffered anyway. This ironic positioning also emphasizes the dangerous power of new technology—like trains—that functions beyond human preventative actions. Despite all of the safety measures in place, the fact that "[n]o man in England knew his work better," and all the supposedly supernatural warnings given to the signalman, the man is ultimately killed by the train.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Misplaced Certainty:
The narrator’s skepticism often leads him to believe that he has all of the answers and the firmest grasp on the situation as an objective, unbiased outsider. Ironically, it is this misplaced certainty that leads him to leave the signalman alone, which—in some ways—leads to the man’s death. In this passage, the narrator claims that the signalman understands his duty, but, in reality, the signalman’s sense of duty has been skewed by his guilt over the previous tragedies as a result of his encounters with the ghosts:
Therefore, setting aside all question of reality or unreality between us, I represented to him that whoever thoroughly discharged his duty must do well, and that at least it was his comfort that he understood his duty, though he did not understand these confounding appearances. In this effort I succeeded far better than in the attempt to reason him out of his conviction. He became calm; the occupations incidental to his post as the night advanced began to make larger demands on his attention: and I left him at two in the morning.
Since the signalman has shown himself to be intelligent and dedicated to his job, the narrator assumes the man could carry out his duty to protect the train passengers. However, the narrator has failed to realize that the signalman is too dedicated to his job. This leads to the added irony of the signalman causing his own death due to his insistent efforts to prevent one. The narrator's and the signalman's certainty that the signalman is able to carry out his job leads to him failing to fulfill his duty of preventing train accidents.
Related Themes:
