Question

review the passage. the verbal irony is shown in bold.
nowadays it is a duty for a poor peasant to be a soldier. another reason to be proud, this being a citizen! for the poor, it consists in sustaining and preserving the wealthy in their power and their laziness. the poor must work for this. this revolution was made by fools and idiots for the benefit of those who acquired national lands, and resulted in nothing but making fortune of crafty peasants and bourgeois. the revolution only made stronger, under the pretense of making all men equal, the empire of wealth. it has betrayed france into the hands of the men of wealth.
adapted from anatole france, the red lily
what is the effect of the verbal irony on the passages meaning or tone?
it suggests that the speaker is not poor.
it emphasizes the speakers negative opinion of the french government.
it indicates the speakers approval of the poor becoming soldiers.

Explanation:

Verbal irony occurs when words are used to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. In the passage, the speaker uses "Another reason to be proud, this being a citizen!" sarcastically. The context shows the poor's hardships (sustaining the wealthy, the revolution benefiting the crafty and bourgeois). This irony emphasizes the speaker's negative view. It's not about the speaker's class (no indication of not being poor), and the speaker doesn't approve of the poor's situation (as shown by the negative description of their role in sustaining the wealthy).

Answer:

It emphasizes the speaker's negative opinion of the French government.