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Unreliable Narrator
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 3
Explanation and Analysis—Alice's Virtues:
In the following passage from Chapter 3, Steinbeck narrates Cyrus Trask's thought process, attempting to deduce his reasons for marrying Alice. Cyrus's views on family and women are typical for a man of his time period, and Steinbeck uses verbal irony to highlight their ridiculousness:
Alice Trask had a number of admirable qualities . . . . She was not very pretty, so there was no need to watch her. . . . Whether she liked children or not no one ever knew. She was not asked, and she never said anything unless she was asked. From Cyrus' point of view this was possibly the greatest of her virtues.
Steinbeck states that Alice has "admirable qualities," only to list several things readers would not likely think of as "admirable": she is not pretty; she may or may not like children; she does not speak unless spoken to. It seems odd and contradictory to list these as Alice's "greatest virtues," particularly given that none of the qualities listed have anything to do with morality. Those listed are only virtues insofar as they make it easier to reinforce patriarchal norms—but, in truth, that is exactly what Cyrus Trask wants from her.
Related Themes:
Chapter 8
Explanation and Analysis—Freedom and Sex:
In the following excerpt from Chapter 8, the narrator speculates on sexuality and humanity in an attempt to reveal aspects of Cathy's character to readers. In this discussion, the narrator uses verbal irony as a device for critique:
What freedom men and women could have, were they not constantly tricked and trapped and enslaved and tortured by their sexuality! The only drawback in that freedom is that without it one would not be a human. One would be a monster.
In the above passage, the narrator implies that it would be a form of freedom not to be beholden to sexuality. In reality, the narrator implies, it is not sexuality but the social systems that construct and enforce shame which are to blame for the "trickery" and "torture."
This passage also draws on and critiques Christian rhetoric on sexuality: the words "tricked and trapped and enslaved and tortured" in reference to sex might reasonably make an appearance in any sermon meant to inspire moral panic. Through irony, Steinbeck questions the notion that so-called "sexual immorality" is a problem worth worrying about, going so far as to assert that it would be inhuman for someone not to "struggle" with the complexity of sexuality. This viewpoint seems to celebrate rather than condemn the imperfection of humanity, rather than reinforcing the Christian belief that people must be "saved" from the ugliness of human nature.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Tannery Workers:
In the following passage from Chapter 8, the narrator discusses Mr. Ames's murder, as well as his employee's response. As is stylistically typical for Steinbeck, the passage employs verbal irony and contradiction, implying different conclusions about the employees than those that are directly stated:
Since the owner's house was burned and the owner ostensibly burned with it, the employees of the tannery, out of respect, did not go to work. They hung around the burned house, offering to help in any way they could, feeling official and generally getting in the way.
The narrator states that the workers do not go to work after the Ameses' house burns down "out of respect," but this is verbal irony—they are more likely lazy, given that they "get in the way" despite offering to help. The image is one of idleness, not industry.
Through the use of irony in this passage, Steinbeck subtly comments on human nature, displaying the workers' sudden dissolution into a state of entropy after their employer dies. These men have little loyalty to their boss, simply displaying "respect" as a tactic to release them from work. This passage showcases the increasingly alienated relationship between worker and employer that developed over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Related Themes:
