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Similes
Part 2
Explanation and Analysis—Mr. Ryder is Sam Taylor:
In an example of situational irony, Mr. Ryder reveals in his speech at the ball that he is Sam Taylor (Eliza Jane’s former husband) after acting as if he had never heard of the man in the previous scene with Eliza Jane. Readers do not see this plot twist coming as Mr. Ryder engages with Eliza Jane as if she were a stranger, and even makes up hypothetical scenarios for “Sam Taylor” that he knows are not true, as seen in the following passage:
“He may have married another woman. Your slave marriage would not have prevented him, for you never lived with him after the war, and without that your marriage doesn’t count.”
“Would n’ make no diff’ence wid Sam. He would n’ marry no yuther ’oman ’tel he foun’ out ’bout me. I knows it,” she added.
Here, Mr. Ryder suggests that Eliza Jane’s husband “may have married another woman” despite the fact that he knows he hasn’t, as he is her former husband and he is still single. There is, of course, a second layer of situational irony here because, as readers know, Mr. Ryder is planning on becoming engaged to another woman that very night. So, when Eliza Jane responds by saying that Sam “would n’ marry no yuther ’oman ’tel he foun’ out ’bout me,” she is not exactly correct, as Mr. Ryder was prepared to marry someone else. That Mr. Ryder ultimately decides not to propose to Molly that evening, however, proves that, just as Eliza Jane has been loyal to him all these years, he chooses to be loyal to her in return.
Related Themes:
