Question

read the excerpt from flannery oconnors the life you save may be your own
they drove back to the house to let the old woman off and pick up the lunch. when they were ready to leave,
she stood staring in the window of the car, with her fingers clenched around the glass. tears began to seep
sideways out of her eyes and run along the dirty creases in her face. i aint ever been parted with her for two
days before, she said.
which best describes the irony in the excerpt?
mrs. crater has never been separated from her daughter, and now she must let her go for two days.
mrs. craters tears are insincere because she is happy that her daughter is finally leaving her alone.
instead of experiencing the joy of gaining a son - in - law, mrs. crater feels the sorrow of losing her daughter.
as the two part ways, lucynell does not feel the same amount of emotional despair as her mother.

Explanation:

In the story, Mrs. Crater was supposed to be happy about getting a son - in - law (since she was arranging a marriage for her daughter). But instead, she is sad about losing her daughter. This is an example of situational irony where the opposite of what is expected (joy of gaining a family member) happens (sorrow of losing a family member).

Answer:

Instead of experiencing the joy of gaining a son - in - law, Mrs. Crater feels the sorrow of losing her daughter.