Irony and Ambiguity

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Irony and Ambiguity

• Holt Chapter 5

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Pre test!!

• 1. Describe irony in your own words. What are
  the three types of irony our book describes?
• 2. Describe ambiguity in your own words. Give
  an example.

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Irony

• The difference between what we expect or what
  seems suitable and what happens.
• Example The health nut who only eats organic
  foods and lots of fruits/veggies and runs every
  day dies of heart disease.

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Types of Irony Verbal

• Verbal ironythe most simple type of irony. It
  is when someone says something but means the
  opposite (what Ms. Bozarth does often).
• Example I know that it is really difficult to
  put your name and date on your paper, but would
  you try your hardest to do it every time pretty,
  pretty please?
• Nowwrite your own example of verbal irony.

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Types of Irony situational

• Situational ironydescribes an even that is not
  just surprising but actually contrary from what
  we expected.
• Example Mother Theresa actually stole money
  from many of the poor people we thought she had
  helped.

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Types of Irony dramatic

• Dramatic ironythis type of irony often occurs in
  plays, a fact that explains how it gets its name.
  When we know what is in store for a character,
  but the character does not know, we are
  experiencing dramatic irony.
• Example We know that Joey from Friends is
  listening to Chandler from inside the
  entertainment center, but Chandler does not know.

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Isnt it Ironic? Well, is it?

• Alanis Morissette Ironic
• An old man turned ninety-eight He won the
  lottery and died the next day It's a black fly
  in your Chardonnay It's a death row pardon two
  minutes too late Isn't it ironic ... don't you
  think Chorus It's like rain on your wedding
  day It's a free ride when you've already paid
  It's the good advice that you just didn't take
  Who would've thought ... it figures Mr. Play
  It Safe was afraid to fly He packed his suitcase
  and kissed his kids good-bye He waited his whole
  damn life to take that flight And as the plane
  crashed down he thought 'Well isn't this
  nice...' And isn't it ironic ... don't you think
  Repeat Chorus

• Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
  When you think everything's okay and
  everything's going right And life has a funny
  way of helping you out when You think
  everything's gone wrong and everything blows up
  In your face It's a traffic jam when you're
  already late It's a no-smoking sign on your
  cigarette break It's like ten thousand spoons
  when all you need is a knife It's meeting the
  man of my dreams And then meeting his beautiful
  wife And isn't it ironic... don't you think A
  little too ironic... and yeah I really do
  think... Repeat Chorus Life has a funny way
  of sneaking up on you Life has a funny, funny
  way of helping you out

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Ambiguity

• Definition of Ambiguous
• open to or having several possible meanings or
  interpretations
• Ambiguity in stories offers us several
  conflicting consequences or meaningsand leaves
  us to sort them out.
• Example have you ever wanted the bad guy to win
  in a story, but at the same time you realize that
  they are hurting innocent people? You feel mixed
  up inside? That is an ambiguity in a story.
• Nowdescribe a story that you can think of that
  is ambiguous in meaning or how it makes you feel
  in some way.

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Food for thought

• Could ironic or ambiguous endings be the most
  powerful? Do stories that we cant quite figure
  out make us think harder and consider life a
  little bit more?
• Are these endings powerful because life isnt
  clear-cut and is, by nature, often ironic or
  ambiguous? What do you think?