"As writers, we learn most of what we know just by watching the pros, don't we?" ~John R. Trimble
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Irony
13 comments:
Anonymous
said...
In The Loud Silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman , there is a whole chapter called "Discovering Irony." Below are some exerpts from this chapter:
p.36-37 I already knew about similies, saying things were like other things, and metaphors, saying things were other things. Oxymorons, which used two words of opposite meaning together, and irony, where the oridinary meaning of the words is the opposite of what is really in your mind, were new to me. We had to make up examples in our workbooks to show we understood. I wrote: Simile: Dolores blew her nose, which iwas as read as a rose. Metaphor: When his cap pistol broke, the little boy cried a river of tears. Oxymoron: I gave a silent cry of desperation. Irony: I just love to go to the doctor for a shot. Irony was expecially appealing to me. I thought of lots more examples, but I didn't write them down: I was so pleased to see Mary Agnes Malone there. Yes, Mother, I think Dad looks exactly like Montgomery Clift. Sure, let's draw flowers all over our uniform skirts. I know Sister would be crazy about it. Oh, no, the idea of the world blowing up doesn't bother me one bit. I was pretty excited. With irony I could mean the very opposite of what I said, but no one would know that. I could say exactly what I thought without getting into trouble. "Francine," Sister said, "will you please go up to the board and write down your example of a metaphor?" "I can't think of anything I would rather do," I said ironically.
"Isn't it terrible to have a cold?" I say, trying to be cordial. The blank stare doesn't change. "I dont have a cold." Right. Glad I asked. No doubt we'll be like sisters by morning.
A Great and Terrible Beauty, By Libba Bray, Page 48.
"She is the company's top life insurance sales person. Everyone wants to buy a policy from the woman who nearly missed being killed along with her three sisters. Can she help it?" - In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez, Page 5.
"...I am your plain... governess." (Jane Eyre 299)
This is a paradox because Jane considers herself "plain" when she really isn't. She can read what people are like just by watching them for a while and that is something that plain people cannot do. Also, she must not be plain if Mr. Rochester, someone who is rich and has lots of women who are more accomplished then she that he could choose from, chose her. That is something to prove that she isn't plain. Jane also acts different then most women in this time. Most women act how a "proper woman" should act: sit about cleaning, sewing, reading or drawing, playing the piano for people, not really standing out much. This is what plain people do. Jane isn't afraid to tell her "Master" what is on her mind or what she thinks of him.
His service to God today had required the sin of murder, and it was a sacrifice Silas knew he would have to hold silently in his heart for all eternity. (Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code, page 183)
" Not Miss Moore. It can't be. Miss Mooreis the one who has believed in me. Who first told us about the Order. Who listened as i told her.....everything. No.Miss Moore is not Circe, And I shall prove it. I write the words, big and bold: Hester Moore. They stare back at me. Ann has already done an anagram for Miss Moore. It yielded nothing but nonsence. I stare at the note. Sincerely Hester Asa Moore. Asa. The middle name. I cross out and start again. With trembling fingers i shift the letters of her name to make something new. S,A,R. At last i put the remainding of the letters into place. H,R,E. The room falls away as the name swims before me. Sara Rees-Tomme." (Rebel Angels 500)
The chadri isn’t enough: They also have to have this shield of sheet metal between them and a woman. Just what is it they are afraid of? We are impure—but that doesn’t stop them from slapping a woman with their bare hands and shoving her into barbed wire!
"Beneath the title across the top, in neatly chalked hand-writing, were columns of words and figures:
Schedule
January:
Group 1 (10): Oats. 30 loads = 2 bu. Group 2 (10): Wheat. 30 loads = 2 bu. Group 3 (10): Corn. 20 loads = 1 1/2 bu. Group 4 (10): Misc. seeds Est. 10 loads total
The rest of the blackboard was filled with more rows of figures, each headed by the name of a month: February, March, April, May, and so on through July."
Robert C. O'Brien, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Pg. 84)
13 comments:
In The Loud Silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman , there is a whole chapter called "Discovering Irony." Below are some exerpts from this chapter:
p.36-37
I already knew about similies, saying things were like other things, and metaphors, saying things were other things. Oxymorons, which used two words of opposite meaning together, and irony, where the oridinary meaning of the words is the opposite of what is really in your mind, were new to me.
We had to make up examples in our workbooks to show we understood. I wrote:
Simile: Dolores blew her nose, which iwas as read as a rose.
Metaphor: When his cap pistol broke, the little boy cried a river of tears.
Oxymoron: I gave a silent cry of desperation.
Irony: I just love to go to the doctor for a shot.
Irony was expecially appealing to me. I thought of lots more examples, but I didn't write them down: I was so pleased to see Mary Agnes Malone there. Yes, Mother, I think Dad looks exactly like Montgomery Clift. Sure, let's draw flowers all over our uniform skirts. I know Sister would be crazy about it. Oh, no, the idea of the world blowing up doesn't bother me one bit.
I was pretty excited. With irony I could mean the very opposite of what I said, but no one would know that. I could say exactly what I thought without getting into trouble.
"Francine," Sister said, "will you please go up to the board and write down your example of a metaphor?"
"I can't think of anything I would rather do," I said ironically.
"Isn't it terrible to have a cold?" I say, trying to be cordial. The blank stare doesn't change. "I dont have a cold."
Right. Glad I asked. No doubt we'll be like sisters by morning.
A Great and Terrible Beauty, By Libba Bray, Page 48.
"As he stood up, Langdon was beginning to suspect it was going to be a very long night."
The Da Vinci Code, By Dan Brown, Pg. 27.
"She is the company's top life insurance sales person. Everyone wants to buy a policy from the woman who nearly missed being killed along with her three sisters. Can she help it?"
- In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez, Page 5.
"It would be meaningless to apologize for what I did. Even inappropriate. But I do. I apologize.
In Cold Blood, By Truman Capote, Page 340.
"Well what's there to say about capital punishment? I'm not against it. Revenge it all it is, but what's wrong with revenge? It's very important."
In Cold Blood, By Truman Capote, Page 335.
"...I am your plain... governess." (Jane Eyre 299)
This is a paradox because Jane considers herself "plain" when she really isn't. She can read what people are like just by watching them for a while and that is something that plain people cannot do. Also, she must not be plain if Mr. Rochester, someone who is rich and has lots of women who are more accomplished then she that he could choose from, chose her. That is something to prove that she isn't plain. Jane also acts different then most women in this time. Most women act how a "proper woman" should act: sit about cleaning, sewing, reading or drawing, playing the piano for people, not really standing out much. This is what plain people do. Jane isn't afraid to tell her "Master" what is on her mind or what she thinks of him.
"You don't notice the dead leaving when they really choose to leave you."
Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones page 323
His service to God today had required the sin of murder, and it was a sacrifice Silas knew he would have to hold silently in his heart for all eternity. (Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code, page 183)
" Not Miss Moore. It can't be. Miss Mooreis the one who has believed in me. Who first told us about the Order. Who listened as i told her.....everything. No.Miss Moore is not Circe, And I shall prove it. I write the words, big and bold: Hester Moore. They stare back at me. Ann has already done an anagram for Miss Moore. It yielded nothing but nonsence. I stare at the note. Sincerely Hester Asa Moore. Asa. The middle name. I cross out and start again. With trembling fingers i shift the letters of her name to make something new. S,A,R. At last i put the remainding of the letters into place. H,R,E. The room falls away as the name swims before me. Sara Rees-Tomme." (Rebel Angels 500)
The chadri isn’t enough: They also have to have this shield of sheet metal between them and a woman. Just what is it they are afraid of? We are impure—but that doesn’t stop them from slapping a woman with their bare hands and shoving her into barbed wire!
Latifa- My Forbidden Face
pg. 58-59
"Mrs. Frisby spelled it out slowly: The Plan of the Rats of Nimh."
Robert C. O'Brien, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Pg. 83)
"Beneath the title across the top, in neatly chalked hand-writing, were columns of words and figures:
Schedule
January:
Group 1 (10): Oats. 30 loads = 2 bu.
Group 2 (10): Wheat. 30 loads = 2 bu.
Group 3 (10): Corn. 20 loads = 1 1/2 bu.
Group 4 (10): Misc. seeds Est. 10 loads total
The rest of the blackboard was filled with more rows of figures, each headed by the name of a month: February, March, April, May, and so on through July."
Robert C. O'Brien, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Pg. 84)
Post a Comment