"You could have knocked me down with a feather."(240)
This is verbal irony because the actual meaning of the speech contradicts the way it was said. You can't knock someone down with a feather because it's physically impossible. A feather's mass is less that that of a human, so therefore it is not able to knock down a human. It is also soft, so there's another reason why it is impossible.
"One monday morning Grandison was missing... And a hurried search and inquiry resulted in no information as to their whereabouts." (241)
This passage is situational irony because earlier in the story, we find out that grandison comes back with a broken leg, and then leaves not too long after, taking his family with him. They escape to canada and are freed by running away.
""You could have knocked me down with a feather."(240)"
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure this is ironic so much as it's hyperbole -- it's not like the speaker couldn't have been knocked down; she's expressing her shock.