Irony & tone

Irony

A gap between appearance and reality, or between what is said or expected and what is actually meant or happens.

Irony is an umbrella term for several effects that turn on a contrast between surface and substance. Writers use it to create complexity, humor, or unease, inviting readers to see more than the characters do. Its three main branches are verbal irony, situational irony, and dramatic irony.

Example

Each spouse sells a treasure to buy a gift for the other’s now-useless treasure, an ironic outcome where love makes the sacrifices both wasteful and priceless.

The Gift of the Magi · O. Henry

See it in action

Analyses on StoryBites that use irony:

A Rose for EmilyWilliam FaulknerThe Yellow WallpaperCharlotte Perkins GilmanSoldier's HomeErnest HemingwayThe Open BoatStephen CraneThe Most Dangerous GameRichard ConnellPaul's CaseWilla CatherThe Lady, or the Tiger?Frank StocktonYoung Goodman BrownNathaniel HawthorneTo Build a FireJack LondonHeart of DarknessJoseph ConradOdour of ChrysanthemumsD.H. LawrenceBartleby, the ScrivenerHerman Melville

Related terms

Verbal IronyWhen a speaker says one thing but means the opposite, often for emphasis or mockery.Situational IronyWhen the actual outcome of a situation is the opposite of what was expected.Dramatic IronyWhen the audience knows something important that one or more characters do not.

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