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.

Explanation:

Verbal irony occurs when words are used to convey a meaning that is opposite to their literal sense. In the passage, the speaker uses the phrase "Another reason to be proud, this being a citizen!" in a sarcastic tone. The context shows that the poor are exploited (sustaining the wealthy, the revolution only benefiting the crafty and bourgeois, strengthening the empire of wealth under the pretense of equality). The irony here is used to highlight the speaker's disillusionment. It is not about the speaker's social - class (there is no indication that the speaker is not poor from this irony). Instead, it emphasizes the negative view. The negative opinion is about the system (related to the government as it is about the social structure and the outcome of the revolution which is a political event).

Answer:

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