Question

read it
work individually. complete each situation below, and write your response
to it based on the story. then, reconvene with your group to compare and
contrast your responses.

paragraphs	situation	why is this ironic?

| 5–6 | mrs. mallard has
just learned about
her husband’s
death, but now she
notices... | |
| 20–21 | mrs. mallard has
reconciled herself
to her newfound
freedom, but now
she discovers... | |

Explanation:

This problem is about analyzing irony in a literary text (likely "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin) through completing situations and explaining irony. The subfield of Arts - Literature is appropriate as it involves literary analysis, understanding narrative elements, and irony in a story. For the first row (paragraphs 5 - 6), Mrs. Mallard, after learning of her husband's death, notices signs of new life (like the spring outside) or her own emerging sense of freedom, which is ironic because one would expect grief, not a sense of liberation or appreciation of life. For the second row (paragraphs 20 - 21), she discovers her husband is alive after she has accepted her freedom, which is ironic as her new - found freedom is suddenly threatened, and the situation reverses her earlier feelings of liberation.

Answer:

For the "5 - 6" row:

• Situation completion (example): Mrs. Mallard has just learned about her husband’s death, but now she notices the beauty of the outside world, like the “delicious breath of rain” and the “notes of a distant song” and starts to feel a sense of freedom.
• Why is this ironic? It is ironic because upon hearing of her husband's death, instead of being overwhelmed by grief, she begins to feel a sense of liberation and joy at the prospect of her new - found freedom, which goes against the expected emotional response to a spouse's death.

For the "20 - 21" row:

• Situation completion (example): Mrs. Mallard has reconciled herself to her newfound freedom, but now she discovers that her husband is alive.
• Why is this ironic? It is ironic because she had come to accept and embrace the freedom that she thought came with her husband's death, and now that freedom is taken away as he is alive. Also, the very thing that she thought would bring her grief (her husband's death) brought her freedom, and the thing that she thought would bring her continued freedom (his death being permanent) is reversed, and his life now threatens her new - found sense of self - determination.