What was irony in Chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter?

The appearance of the letter is ironic because Hester makes it so attractive to onlookers. The letter’s purpose is to call attention to her sin, but one would think that she would make a plain red ‘A’ so that many would not look at her.

What are some examples of irony in The Scarlet Letter?

In the novel, the main example of irony occurs when Hester is on the Puritan scaffold and is compared to the Virgin Mary, despite the fact that she is being punished for her sin in that very moment.

What is the verbal irony in The Scarlet Letter?

Verbal irony first appears when the priest who fathered Hester Prynne’s illegitimate daughter publicly begs her to release the name of her lover so that he can receive his punishment. While unable to summon the courage to out himself, Dimmesdale’s guilty conscience and mixed emotions drive his ironic statements.

Why is Pearl’s name ironic?

“But she named the infant ‘Pearl,’ as being of great price, purchased with all she had, -her mother’s only treasure,” (Hawthorne, page 82, chapter 6) This is ironic because Hester’s daughter’s name is Pearl. The name ‘Pearl’ symbolizes purity, however, Hester’s daughter is seen with “sin and shame.”

What is the irony in the scarlet ibis?

For example, in Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis,” it is ironic to call a small child who is not projected to live for very long “William Armstrong.” Brother compares his little brother’s name to “tying a big tail on a small kite,” which would also be ironic.

What is irony story?

The definition of irony as a literary device is a situation in which there is a contrast between expectation and reality. For example, the difference between what something appears to mean versus its literal meaning. Irony is associated with both tragedy and humor.

What is the example of irony?

A child runs away from someone throwing a water balloon at him and falls into the pool. This is ironic because the child ends up wetter than he would have been, thwarting his expectations of what would happen when he ran away from the water balloon.

What are irony examples?

Common Examples of Situational Irony