In The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin uses dramatic and situational irony. Dramatic irony is when the reader knows something that the character(s) do not. Situational irony is occurs when incongruity appears between expectations of something to happen, and what actually happens instead. Irony provides a better understanding of a situation or a story, and gives more insight to characters. One example of dramatic irony is when the reader knows Louise Mallard was in her room with a sense of freedom, while the others in the story thought she was sad and ill. By using this irony, Chopin lets the reader fully understand what is really going on in the story. The reasoning for this being dramatic irony is that the reader knows that Mrs. Mallard is
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Mallard died from the joy of seeing that her husband is still alive. In the end of the story Brently Mallard, Mrs. Mallard’s husband, showed up and ended up not being dead. But what makes this dramatic is that the characters believe she died of joy when she actually died of a heart disease. What the others in the story don’t know is that Mrs. Mallard was relieved that her supposedly husband passed away. Being able to tell that Mrs. Mallard died of a heart disease and not the joy helps the reader understand what is really happening without being confused. We as the readers know the reason for the death but the characters do not. The joy of her husband being alive is what is believed to have caused the death of Mrs. Mallard but that is completely wrong. The heart disease that she had is what brought her to the death in the appearance of her husband. The example of dramatic irony from the previous paragraph is also situational irony. The fact that Mrs. Mallard died of her disease at the same time of the arrival of her husband is what makes this situation. The situation in which she is in makes it look like she died because she was in shock and joyful. The showing up of the husband had nothing to do with Mrs. Mallard’s death. The reader understanding what Mrs. Mallard’s death was caused from is important so that they don’t get confused and have the idea that she died from the joy that kills which is what
Mallard died from the joy of seeing that her husband is still alive. In the end of the story Brently Mallard, Mrs. Mallard’s husband, showed up and ended up not being dead. But what makes this dramatic is that the characters believe she died of joy when she actually died of a heart disease. What the others in the story don’t know is that Mrs. Mallard was relieved that her supposedly husband passed away. Being able to tell that Mrs. Mallard died of a heart disease and not the joy helps the reader understand what is really happening without being confused. We as the readers know the reason for the death but the characters do not. The joy of her husband being alive is what is believed to have caused the death of Mrs. Mallard but that is completely wrong. The heart disease that she had is what brought her to the death in the appearance of her husband. The example of dramatic irony from the previous paragraph is also situational irony. The fact that Mrs. Mallard died of her disease at the same time of the arrival of her husband is what makes this situation. The situation in which she is in makes it look like she died because she was in shock and joyful. The showing up of the husband had nothing to do with Mrs. Mallard’s death. The reader understanding what Mrs. Mallard’s death was caused from is important so that they don’t get confused and have the idea that she died from the joy that kills which is what