Regular readers of this blog are aware of my fascination with Ender Wiggin, Lennie Smalls, and sports teams from the state of Ohio. What they may not be aware of is my fascination with irony. In fact, I once stayed up late into the night figuring out how everything in life is ironic, which is ironic because not everything in life is ironic.
If you’d like to see my original list of short stories with irony (and who could blame you?), follow the link. If you don’t feel like following the link or if you’re on a really slow computer or mobile device with less than stellar Internet capabilities then I’ll list them, but you’ll have to follow the link to get the irony lesson plans:
- “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant
- “The Machine that Won the War” by Isaac Asimov
- “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
- “The Interlopers” by Saki
- “The Blue Hotel” by Stephen Crane
- “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O’Henry
Now Even More Short Stories with Irony and lesson plans.
But first an irony lesson plan and ready-to-use graphic organizer: Analyzing Irony in Literature
- “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe. In addition to being the master of suspense, Poe is sneakily ironic. For a study in verbal irony and reverse psychology, you’d be wise to examine the words of Montresor as he leads Fortunato into the catacombs and a nightmarish death.
- “The Gift of the Magi” by O’Henry. More than just a Christmas classic, this O’Henry short story is a study in how to use irony to accentuate theme, as the best gifts ever turn into the worst gifts ever, which makes them the best gifts ever. Now that’s irony at its finest.
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. There’s all sorts of ironic goings-on at this small town lottery, the most ironic being that the lottery’s participants seem unaware that anything ironic is actually going on.- “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs. If you want to mess with fate, you’re going to get your ironic comeuppance. The White family leans this the hard way.
- “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. Harrison Bergeron’s one of the greatest physical specimens and great minds of his day…which is a bad thing.
And a Bonus
Just taught “The Open Window” for the first time. Great high-interest, easy read that you can dig into. Check out “The Open Window” post.
High interest story with great critical thinking lesson plans.
Last Updated on May 16, 2017 by Trenton Lorcher
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