An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge Irony Analysis

One can see that in “The Lottery”, “A Rose for Emily”, and “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” irony is used to defy the reader's expectations. Each story exemplifies a plot twist shaped by irony. Consequently, The use of irony is present throughout the stories and influences the ending of the story, not only for the characters, but also for the reader. “The Lottery” is a short story written by Shirley Jackson. An annual lottery takes place which ultimately results with the winner being stoned. The use of irony is present from the beginning of the story when Tessie Hutchinson, the story’s protagonist, arrives to the town-hall meeting late, which sets apart from the crowd. Furthermore, situational irony is present because the reader associates a lottery with something good. Who wouldn't want to win something? Also, the characters in the story talk about the lottery as something menial, so the reader thinks it will be frivolous, not life altering. The people of the town believe the lottery to be a casual event and say, “The …show more content…
In “A Rose for Emily” the reader learns about the eccentric life of Emily, a widow living in a small town, and everything it entails. As the story progresses, so does Emily’s psychotic behavior. Soon the readers learn that Emily has killed her fiance, and has been sleeping next to the dead body for decades. Consequently, it is ironic because Emily states she loves Homer, her fiance, but kills him so that he will never leave her. Thus, dramatic irony is present throughout this story because Emily knows that Homer was killed, but the reader does not. Also, the townspeople all pity Emily because they believe her fiance left her, but in reality, she has killed him. Throughout the story, Emily is seen as a helpless woman who can barely take care of herself, let alone another person, so it is ironic that this pitied woman is a deranged