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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
Verbal Irony
Explanation and Analysis—The Explorer:
Near the beginning of the story, Neddy decides to approach his journey through the pools in his suburban community as “an explorer, a man with a destiny,” and he takes this orientation to his interaction with the first pool owners he encounters—the Grahams. The narrator uses verbal irony when describing Neddy’s almost anthropological approach to interacting with the Grahams, as seen in the following passage:
“Why, Neddy,” Mrs. Graham said, “what a marvelous surprise. I’ve been trying to get you on the phone all morning. Here, let me get you a drink.” He saw then, like any explorer, that the hospitable customs and traditions of the natives would have to be handled with diplomacy if he was ever going to reach his destination.
The narrator—channeling Neddy—uses verbal irony here when referring to Mr. and Mrs. Graham as “natives” whose “hospitable customs and traditions” he would have to “handle with diplomacy.” Neddy does not actually view the couple as people with customs and traditions different from his own, but the narrator uses that language here as a humorous extension of Neddy's commitment to seeing himself as a fearless explorer on a quest. He also likely wants to set himself apart from the Grahams here, given his underlying expressed disdain for the false, vapid nature of suburban social life.
Related Themes:
