A Brief Tip for Writing About the Irony of a Situation

Irony prevents us from taking things at face value. When you analyze situational irony you will want to note the dissonance between what is explicitly stated and what is implied by behavior or the actual setting.

For example, there is irony when a person gives an impassioned speech about the need for young people to learn that they cannot resolve their conflicts through the use of violence and 24 hours later ordering a bombing campaign to “resolve” an international conflict. There is irony when peaceful protestors are criticized as being “trouble-makers” because they live in a free society that allows people to protest – and only trouble-makers would protest in such a society. There is irony when a magazine publishes an article about the emotional harm of teaching young girls to measure their worth based how closely they resemble professional fashion models followed by an advertisement that promises readers a happier life if they purchase a product that will give them fashion model slimness.

You will want to ask yourself: What is ironic about this situation? Why can’t the actors in this situation see, or appreciate, this irony? If they can see and appreciate the irony how do the actors in this situation reconcile themselves to it (how do they rationalize it)?

When we pay attention to irony we disabuse ourselves of the habit of judging by appearances and taking statements at face value.

A Brief Tip for Writing About the Use of Metaphor

Metaphors express how we think. When you analyze the use of metaphor you will want to note the details in the metaphor and discuss what each detail represents.

For example, a metaphor about a bicycle going through an busy intersection and being obstructed by oncoming traffic while the traffic light turns from green to red has many metaphors embedded within it, each of which should be discussed. There is also the metaphor as a whole – why this particular metaphor as opposed to another? What does this metaphor suggest? What kind of metaphor might an alternative perspective generate?

When we see or hear a metaphor that contains multiple images (such as a narrative metaphor – a story) we have to assume that each image in the metaphor is connected to the main idea, and helps to illustrate it in some way. This is why we have to dissect the metaphor and examine what each part says about the person’s perspective on the main idea.

You will want to ask yourself: What works and does not work about each of these metaphors? What underlying assumptions does each metaphor -- or each part of the metaphor -- contain? What does each metaphor -- and each part of the metaphor -- help you to see? What might they prevent you from seeing?

Metaphors are tools for thinking. They help us to think. We all think in metaphors most of the time even though we may not be aware of it. This is why it is useful to take the time to slow down and examine the metaphors that we and others use. When you are thinking about metaphor you are thinking about how people think.