Examples Of Situational Irony In Harrison Bergeron

Irony is a literary technique where the usage of language expresses that something is the opposite of what one expects; it may be used for a humorous effect. There are three types of irony; there is verbal, situational, and dramatic irony. Verbal irony is when an author’s stated meaning differs from the actual meaning, situational irony is when a different situation occurs than what is expected, and dramatic irony is when the audience knows more information that the characters do. In the story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., there are many examples of situational and dramatic irony shown through the handicaps, the ballerina’s dance, and Harrison’s death. The story introduces a setting where the world is equal in every way; no one …show more content…
This is considered situational irony, because one expects that a world where everyone is finally equal would be a positive thing, but instead, there is a lot of grief and oppression of those with higher than average abilities. Later on in the story, George and Hazel are watching a group of ballerinas dance on a television program. Hazel comments, “That dance—it was nice,” and George agrees, but he thinks “They weren’t really very good—no better than anybody else would have been, anyway.” The ballerinas were weighed down with sash weights and masks to hide their beauty. This is considered situational irony because generally, ballerinas are expected to be graceful and beautiful, unhindered in their leaps and spins; unfortunately, they are weighed down and rendered as graceful as any other person. At the climax of the story, Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, shoots Harrison and the Empress ballerina dead. Immediately, George and Hazel’s television burns out, and the couple is given time to process what had just