As I was reading chapter twenty-six of Tom Foster's How to Read Literature Like a Professor, I realized that irony, the subject which he was describing and explaining, was literally in the short story I read previously - "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin. I was reading along fine, even after it was revealed Mrs. Mallard's husband died because I wasn't emotionally attached to his character yet, when I got a big shock that literally made me gasp out loud. Mrs. Mallard just got the news her husband died and finally discerned that that makes her feel "free?!" After the initial shock wore off however, I realized that notion isn't something unfamiliar to me. Many women, including ones that I know, feel or have felt oppressed by their husbands. It's unfortunate but true.
The point though is that I was initially shocked. As a society, we expect that when someone learns their significant other has just passed away, they will be devastated and distraught. Chopin showcased a perfect utilization of situational irony - what the audience expected to happen was the exact opposite of what did. Now, I love irony because regardless of the type, writer's uses of it never cease to surprise me. I guess I am just gullible, making me much more susceptible to getting enthusiastic over the, in my opinion, very clever uses of irony. A writer that can use irony well is going to be considered another genius in my book!
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