Answer to Question #285419 in English for Kelsey Jand

Question

Lord of the Flies Study Guide Questions

Direction: Your answers need to be thorough, and where possible, quote the text (with citation).

Chapter 5-6

Irony: List one example of each type of irony – verbal, situational, and dramatic.

Answer 1

Verbal Irony

The navy officer also tells the lads that they shouldn't be playing their "game" because they were "killing" each other. He goes on to say how good British guys they are, but paradoxically, he is a British man about to go to war and it is his responsibility to murder people.

Situational Irony

One of the novel's main themes is that one should think about all of the consequences of an action, which Golding emphasizes through his brilliant use of situational irony. He uses the fire to show how every action might have unexpected repercussions. Ralph is adamant about lighting a signal fire so that they can be rescued at the start of the tale, while Jack is dismissive. The boys believe that the smoke, which represents hope and optimism, will save them. However, there is no such rescue. Jack and his tribe eventually parted from the rest of the group, partly to avoid taking responsibility for the flame, as Ralph had requested. Tensions are at an all-time high as Jack attempts to smoke out Ralph, whom the boys believe is the beast. He starts a fire in the forest, which spreads until the "entire island shuddered with flame." As the guys strive to eliminate the last surviving link to decency and order, the fire depicts devastation and barbarism. Their intended murder, however, resulted in their rescue after a naval officer "'saw [their] smoke." Ralph's noble devotion to the fire, on the other hand, only serves to further divide the group, and Jack's heinous and vicious hunt spares the community from more violence. Each action has an unexpected effect on the group. With the dead parachutist, the author also highlights the idea that even good intentions can have disastrous outcomes.

Dramatic Irony

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience (or, in the case of a book, the reader) is aware of information that the characters are unaware of. One example is when the boys believe the dead pilot is the "Beastie," an imaginary creature that all the youngsters are afraid of. The reader can see that the pilot isn't being "beastie" in his theatrical Irony.