What literary device is being used in this passage?
"'See!' he cried triumphantly. 'It's a bona-fide piece of printed matter. It fooled me. This fella's a regular Belasco. It's a triumph. What thoroughness! What realism! Knew when to stop, too--didn't cut the pages. But what do you want? What do you expect?'"
The literary device being used in this passage is irony. Irony is when there is a contrast between what is expected or intended and what actually happens. In this case, the speaker exclaims with triumph and enthusiasm about a "bona-fide piece of printed matter," but it turns out to be a book. The irony lies in the speaker's initial confusion and surprise at being fooled by something as ordinary as a book, expressing their expectation of something more extraordinary. The use of irony adds a humorous tone to the passage.
The literary device being used in this passage is irony. The character exclaims with surprise and admiration about a piece of printed matter, thinking it to be genuine, when it is actually fake. The character's sarcastic and exaggerated language creates an ironic tone, highlighting the contrast between expectation and reality.
