Which of the sentences below is an excerpt taken from "In Another Country" by Ernest Hemingway is an example of irony? A. My knee did not bend and the leg dropped straight from the knee to the ankle without a calf, and the machine was to bend the knee and make it move as riding a tricycle. B. But it did not bend yet, and instead the machine lurched when it came to the bending part. C. The doctor said: "That will all pass. You are a fortunate young man. You will play football again like a champion."
To identify the sentence that exhibits irony, we need to understand the concept of irony first. Irony is a figure of speech where the intended meaning is different from the literal or surface meaning of the words. It often involves a contradiction or a discrepancy between what is expected and what actually happens.
Looking at the given options, the sentence that exemplifies irony is A. My knee did not bend and the leg dropped straight from the knee to the ankle without a calf, and the machine was to bend the knee and make it move as riding a tricycle.
To understand why this is ironic, we need to consider the context. "In Another Country" is a short story by Ernest Hemingway about World War I. The protagonist is a soldier who has suffered a severe injury, causing his leg to be withered and unresponsive. He undergoes a therapy session using a machine designed to make his leg bend again.
The irony lies in the fact that despite the purpose of the machine being to help him bend his knee, the protagonist's leg remains immobile and straight. The machine is supposed to simulate riding a tricycle, an activity that requires bending the knee. However, the protagonist's leg does not respond as intended. This contrast between the desired outcome and the actual result creates an ironic situation.
Understanding and recognizing irony requires analyzing the context, subtext, and the intended meaning behind the words, which helps in appreciating the author's use of figurative language to convey deeper meaning.