Irony In The Ransom Of Red Chief

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Pages: 1

In the short story, “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O. Henry, there are several instances of misdirection that cause the reader to conclude the opposite of what is expected. The author achieves this misdirection by using different types of irony in the story. For instance, Henry uses situational irony. This type of irony occurs when unexpected results are produced from someone’s efforts, rather than expected results. Henry also uses verbal irony; this is disparity between what is meant and what is actually said. Dramatic irony is another type of irony that the author uses. This is the reader’s knowledge of an aspect of the story that characters lack. Henry, while adding humor to the story, misdirects the reader by writing the story in a way that