Literal Irony

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses two short stories that illustrate the fact that life is often filled with cruel ironies. The paper contends that "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant and "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner, each depict women who cannot accept reality. The paper reviews the two stories and claims that the authors make use of irony in the narration of the stories too.

From the Paper:

"Matilde's vanity also causes her to make some mistakes that emphasize the irony of the story. She wants to take the most expensive of Mme. Forestier's necklaces. When she puts the diamond necklace around her neck, she "remained lost in Gatsby at the sight of herself" (986). Her misconception about the necklace leads her to lie to Mme. Forestier, which in turn causes her to live many years of her life around a lie. The irony is how Matilde and her husband lived for so many years paying for an unnecessary loan. It is doubly ironic that after these events, Matilde becomes even more bitter and unhappy about her life. Had she never attended the party and lost the necklace, perhaps she would not have aged so much. It is also ironic when she runs into Mme. Forestier and she was still as young, beautiful, and charming as she ever was. Francis Steegmuller notes that the "shock of the shattering, crushing end has always endeared the story to the multitude" (Steegmuller). Matlide was so caught up in what she did not have, she could not enjoy what she did have and her obsession with appearances cost her not only money, but years of her life. "

More papers on Literal Irony:

• Comparison Essay # 111316 : "Lies and Deceit--Three Takes on Cuckoldry"
• Poem Review # 143111 : "An Analysis of "The Road Not Taken"
• Term Paper # 94431 : "'Those Winter Days'"

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