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Definition of Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given situation, and that of the... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a... read full definition
Chapter 149
Explanation and Analysis—Christopher's Confusion:
In the following example of dramatic irony from Chapter 149, Christopher discovers letters that his mother has written to him, postmarked after her death.
I was really confused because Mother had never worked as a secretary for a firm that made things out of steel. [...] And Mother had never written a letter to me before. [....] [T]he letter was posted on 16 October 1997, which was 18 months after Mother had died.
In the above passage, it becomes clear to the reader that Christopher's father lied about his mother's heart attack. Christopher does not yet understand this, failing to piece the whole puzzle together until a later chapter. Instead, he imagines that the letters are not actually for him, or that someone has assumed his mother's identity. Dramatic irony results from Christopher's assumptions, as it takes him longer than the reader to discover his father's dissembling. Christopher is naturally a truthful person. He lacks the ability to lie outright and tends to presume the same of others—especially his close family members. Christopher's own relationship with truth and trust likely delays his realization of his father's lies. He is in denial or simply cannot fathom the idea that someone he trusts would lie to him so blatantly.
Related Themes:
