There are three main types of irony, those being, situational, dramatic and verbal. Those all can be found in the story The Gift of the Magi.

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Pedro Frazillio

English Comp 1 101-14

Mr. Greenfield

06 December 2010

Irony

According to Dictionary.com, irony is a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions are clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character. Irony gives the writer a chance to let their story be creative and make it their own. There are three main types of irony, those being, situational, dramatic and verbal. Those all can be found in the story The Gift of the Magi. I will give examples of how situational, dramatic and verbal irony was placed into the story.

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The first type of irony is situational irony, this is when something is expected to happen but in the end it is the opposite. A situation this is found is in the last few paragraphs when it is shown that their new gifts bought for each other can no longer be used. Della cut her hair to buy Jim a chain for his watch, while he bought her combs for the hair she no longer has. While she knows they both love her hair she cuts it off to give him a great gift, but at the same time he ...

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