Question

d dreams had been abandoned. the
animals which major had foretold, when
s of england should be untrodden by
as still believed in. some day it was coming:
e soon, it might not be with in the lifetime of
w living, but still it was coming.
e that their lives were hard and that not all
had been fulfilled; but they were conscious
not as other animals. if they went hungry,
feeding tyrannical human beings; if they
at least they worked for themselves. no
g them went upon two legs. no creature
er creature \master.\ all animals were

—animal farm,
george orwell

which statement best explains why this passage is an
example of irony?
○ an unexpected event occurs that surprises the
reader.
○ the text ridicules the animals for their naive way of
thinking.
○ the characters make statements that are the
opposite of what they really mean.
○ the reader knows that there is a difference
between what is expected and what occurs.

Explanation:

The passage from Animal Farm describes the animals' belief in a future free from human tyranny, but readers of the novel know this hope is ultimately betrayed (the pigs become tyrannical like humans). This fits dramatic irony, where the reader is aware of a discrepancy between characters' expectations and the actual outcome.

Answer:

D. The reader knows that there is a difference between what is expected and what occurs.