Question

review the passage. the verbal irony is shown in bold.
as i started forward practically the whole population of the quarter flocked out of the houses and followed me. they had seen the rifle and were all shouting excitedly that i was going to shoot the elephant. they had not shown much interest in the elephant when he was merely ravaging their homes, but it was different now that he was going to be shot. it was a bit of fun to them, as it would be to an english crowd; besides they wanted the meat.
from george orwell, \shooting an elephant.\ copyright 1946 by george orwell
what is the effect of the verbal irony on the passages meaning or tone?
it asserts that the people respect the authors authority.
it implies that the people are more interested in entertainment than their own homes.

Explanation:

Verbal irony occurs when what is said is the opposite of what is meant. In the passage, the people showed little interest in the elephant when it was "ravaging their homes" (causing destruction to their property) but got excited when it was "going to be shot" (seeing it as a form of entertainment). This contrast highlights that their interest lies more in the spectacle (entertainment - "a bit of fun") rather than the damage to their homes. There is no indication in the text that the people respect the author's authority. The focus of the verbal - irony - related text is on the people's shift from indifference to the elephant's property - damaging actions to excitement about its shooting (entertainment aspect).

Answer:

It implies that the people are more interested in entertainment than their own homes.