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Essay Irony as an Instrument

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Irony as an Instrument

Its 7:09 am and Olivia is woken up by a wetness between her legs. She looks down and finds that the wetness is actually her water that broke. She anxiously wakes up her husband John, and the two of them quickly gather their things. After nine long months of waiting, John and Olivia are finally on their way to the hospital to welcome their first child into the world. The two have already chosen Jacob Alexander as the baby's name and have the nursery ready for him at home. Once at the hospital, Olivia and John meet with their doctor, Dr. Rodriguez, who assures the anxious couple that everything will be fine and their new son will be in their arms in just a matter of hours. It is now 8:22 am and the pain from …show more content…

John...John." With a growing sound of his name, John is woken up by Olivia saying, "John...It's time." What is irony and why do readers respond to it? Perhaps these questions can be answered by looking at "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce as well as the story I wrote above. Both stories contain the element of irony, presenting a "discrepancy between what is expected and what actually occurs in the text" (G17). Although there are several similarities and differences between the writing styles of the story I wrote and that of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," one aspect remains the same: the significance of irony. Irony can be used as an instrument to provoke different emotions and generate a sense of shock or confusion in the reader. In order to express the power of irony in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," Bierce incorporates distinct elements of writing that draw readers to this story. Immediately, Bierce begins the story in medias res, a narrative device of "beginning a story midway in the events it depicts, usually at an exciting or significant moment" (G17). As a result, readers are thrown into a situation with no explanation of how or why they are there. Initially, feelings of uncertainty and confusion persist, however readers are soon filled in as the story progresses. Bierce also incorporates meticulous descriptions of events that take place within the story. For instance, including great

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