The Ransom Of Red Chief Situational Analysis

Situational irony is when the story takes an unexpected turn that could be pleasing or displeasing. Irony happens in many different ways. It creates emotions that vary depending on the situation. Authors use situational irony to spice up the story. For example, Guy de Maupassant in “The Necklace” uses situational irony to produce pity for Mathilde. In “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O. Henry, he uses situational irony to produce humor in the reader. By examining these two stories authors use situational irony to affect the reader's’ emotions.
In the story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, he uses situational irony to produce pity. For instance, Mathilde wants to be the richest of the rich, but she ends up being the poorest of the poor. Mathilde and her husband borrow money from anyone that will give it to them. She spends all of her …show more content…
Henry uses situational irony to produce humor. For example, their intended victim, a child, enjoys being kidnapped and does not want to go home. When most children get kidnapped they are scared and want to go back with their loved ones. Johnny is different though; he wants to stay. He states, “ You won’t take me back home again, Snake-Eye, will you. . . I never had such fun in all my life” (41). Johnny enjoys his kidnappers’ company more than his family’s. Another example of how the story produces humor is the kidnappers end up paying a ransom to the child's family instead of receiving a ransom. The family of the child seems in no rush to get their Johnny back home safe and sound. The kidnappers’ plan of getting Johnny’s family to pay a ransom to them backfires because the family does not care. Bill tells Sam, “ What's two hundred and fifty dollars, after all?… one more night of this kid will send me to a bed in bedlam” (53). In a normal situation the family would pay whatever price to get their baby back home. Situational irony in the story “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O. Henry is

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The Ransom Of Red Chief Situational Irony Analysis