Irony

Note-taking

Irony is a technique that authors use to engage their audience: it can cause us to keep reading until the wee hours of the morning because of the suspense; it can make us laugh until our sides hurt because of foolish events; it can cause us to hide under the covers in anticipation of danger coming to the characters. One might think irony would be an easy event to pinpoint, then, right? Wrong. Because there are several types of irony, it can be challenging to determine what events are ironic in a text.

Sometimes, authors make it easy for us through the use of sarcasm or exaggeration. In the upcoming text, the author uses irony strategically and humorously to highlight his big idea.