“The Irony of Weakness”
Throughout “Darker than just before the dawn”, the author, John H. MaGowan, uses verbal, dramatic, and situational irony to build up suspense before revealing the stunning truth through a snapper ending. The suspicion begins with dramatic irony, when the protagonist recalls some certain conversations of support that completely change the reader’s views on her. At the same time, verbal irony is used to create the nature of the murderer to the readers, which leaves them appalled. The situational and dramatic irony at the end reveals that the protagonist is the killer and she feels the need to strike down any sort of help whatsoever, which in truth, will not help her.
MaGowan first uses verbal irony to show the morbidness …show more content…
As the protagonist continues to read through the article, she remembers some interesting conversations she had with the victims. The first conversation may pass by unnoticed, but readers notice by the second conversation: “She… remembered Reverend Mullens’s visit on the evening before his death…. “You’ll be a better person for it.’” (188). Readers now realize the congruence between the note found on his body that declared him a “BATTER PERSON FOR THIS” and this conversation. They also recall that the conversation happened very near the time of murder, meaning that not many people know of it. The irony that only the readers know about the conversations causes suspicion to spark. Returning to the first conversation, they realize that it was a similar scenario: “...Aunt Sal on the morning of the crime. ‘You youngsters wan’t around in the Depression, … We hung tough, we did. That’s what you gotta do, girlie, hang in there’” (188). Because of the previous conversation, readers now recognize the same similarity between the “SHE’S HANGING IN THERE” and the conversation, as well as the time of murder again. This adds to the suspicion, and when the same exact situation happens with all four crimes, the suspicion has grown to a very likely inference. Because of the dramatic irony, readers realize that the protagonist is not just an idle bystander, and might be more involved in the crimes than previously …show more content…
Important information is revealed when protagonist gets an unwanted letter: “...she noted the return address of the mortgage company. She had been expecting it, but it was still one more drop in this endless deluge of disasters”(190). Readers now know the protagonist was struggling financially. She already had a lot of things troubling her, and this letter is another more item that will cause her even more stress. Her situation causes pity from the readers. No one wants to experience that. However, that completely changes when MaGowan adds the snapper ending: “As [the mailman] turned to go she glanced down and focused her eyes on the antique flatiron now used as a doorstop. I’ll bet, she thought as she bent to pick it up, it’s even darker with a mail pouch jammed over your head”(190). The snapper ending reveals to the readers that the protagonist is the killer, and she has already targeted her next victim. However, her victim doesn’t know that. Because of the irony, readers no longer feels pity. They are afraid by the reactiveness of the protagonist. The mailman only offered words of advice, but something as simple as this caused her to kill him. The fact that she obviously hasn’t put much thought about her actions and the consequences allows the readers see that she is remorseless. The situational and dramatic irony of the snapper ending reveals the true character of
Throughout “Darker than just before the dawn”, the author, John H. MaGowan, uses verbal, dramatic, and situational irony to build up suspense before revealing the stunning truth through a snapper ending. The suspicion begins with dramatic irony, when the protagonist recalls some certain conversations of support that completely change the reader’s views on her. At the same time, verbal irony is used to create the nature of the murderer to the readers, which leaves them appalled. The situational and dramatic irony at the end reveals that the protagonist is the killer and she feels the need to strike down any sort of help whatsoever, which in truth, will not help her.
MaGowan first uses verbal irony to show the morbidness …show more content…
As the protagonist continues to read through the article, she remembers some interesting conversations she had with the victims. The first conversation may pass by unnoticed, but readers notice by the second conversation: “She… remembered Reverend Mullens’s visit on the evening before his death…. “You’ll be a better person for it.’” (188). Readers now realize the congruence between the note found on his body that declared him a “BATTER PERSON FOR THIS” and this conversation. They also recall that the conversation happened very near the time of murder, meaning that not many people know of it. The irony that only the readers know about the conversations causes suspicion to spark. Returning to the first conversation, they realize that it was a similar scenario: “...Aunt Sal on the morning of the crime. ‘You youngsters wan’t around in the Depression, … We hung tough, we did. That’s what you gotta do, girlie, hang in there’” (188). Because of the previous conversation, readers now recognize the same similarity between the “SHE’S HANGING IN THERE” and the conversation, as well as the time of murder again. This adds to the suspicion, and when the same exact situation happens with all four crimes, the suspicion has grown to a very likely inference. Because of the dramatic irony, readers realize that the protagonist is not just an idle bystander, and might be more involved in the crimes than previously …show more content…
Important information is revealed when protagonist gets an unwanted letter: “...she noted the return address of the mortgage company. She had been expecting it, but it was still one more drop in this endless deluge of disasters”(190). Readers now know the protagonist was struggling financially. She already had a lot of things troubling her, and this letter is another more item that will cause her even more stress. Her situation causes pity from the readers. No one wants to experience that. However, that completely changes when MaGowan adds the snapper ending: “As [the mailman] turned to go she glanced down and focused her eyes on the antique flatiron now used as a doorstop. I’ll bet, she thought as she bent to pick it up, it’s even darker with a mail pouch jammed over your head”(190). The snapper ending reveals to the readers that the protagonist is the killer, and she has already targeted her next victim. However, her victim doesn’t know that. Because of the irony, readers no longer feels pity. They are afraid by the reactiveness of the protagonist. The mailman only offered words of advice, but something as simple as this caused her to kill him. The fact that she obviously hasn’t put much thought about her actions and the consequences allows the readers see that she is remorseless. The situational and dramatic irony of the snapper ending reveals the true character of