The big irony in the story is that Mathilde's efforts to restore a necklace she thought was valuable were in vain because it wasn't actually. Her striving for something that didn't matter much in the end is the core irony.
Irony is used in multiple ways. First, the necklace that was supposed to enhance Madame Loisel's beauty and status at the ball actually becomes the cause of her downfall. Second, the fact that she tries so hard to fit into the upper - class world for one night, but then spends the rest of her life in poverty because of it is ironic. And the final revelation about the fake necklace is the biggest irony. It shows how her perception of value was completely wrong, and all her efforts were in vain.
Symbols in short stories are often used to represent deeper meanings. For example, a red rose might symbolize love. Irony, on the other hand, can be situational or verbal. In a short story, a character might say one thing but mean another, which is verbal irony. Situational irony could be when the outcome is the opposite of what is expected. For instance, a man spends his whole life saving for retirement but then passes away just before he can enjoy it.
I don't know who the necklace is. However, the necklace was a famous piece from the American author, Ernest Hemmingway's " The Sun Also Rises." The novel told the story of a young cuban pilot who provided air support to the united states army during world war ii. The novel explored the physical and psychological effects of war on people and the connection between war and peace through the life experiences of pilots.
The Necklace was published in France in 1883. The story was about a rich woman who cheated to change her necklace in order to save her marriage. As a result, she fell into the vortex of morality and law.
In the story, the protagonist Mathilde and her husband, Alonzo de Forge, were about to divorce, but she did not want to lose her wealth and status. So she thought of a seemingly reasonable way to save her marriage. She asked her friend to custom-make a fake necklace for her and promised to return it after the divorce.
However, when Mathilde divorced, she did not return the necklace on time. She realized that she didn't really cherish the necklace and only wanted to use it to achieve her own goals. In the end, Mathilde was sentenced to prison for stealing jewelry and the necklace was returned to her real owner.
This novel revealed the greed and vanity of human nature and the consequences of deception through the story of a rich woman. It was also widely regarded as one of the most representative works of Mauricio de Mauricio and had a profound influence on later literary creation.
The irony is presented through the normalcy of the setting. The village seems like an ordinary, peaceful place at first. But then, this ordinary lottery turns into a death sentence. The villagers' behavior also shows irony. They chat casually before the lottery, as if it's just a regular event, not realizing the horror that awaits.
The irony in 'The Lottery' is that the lottery, which is usually associated with winning something good, in this story is actually a brutal and senseless sacrifice. People blindly follow the tradition of the lottery without really thinking about its inhumane nature. They gather happily for what they think is a normal event, but it ends in a tragic death.