Irony is one of the best things that you perceive when reading a short story. Irony makes a story grab you by the throat, and you don't want it to let go. It makes you think about how things are not the way that they seem. There are two authors with two short stories that show excellent examples of irony.
Saki, the author of, "The Interlopers", is very constructive with irony. His story is about two neighbors, Ulrich von Gradwitz and Geaorg Znaeym, feuding over a piece over a piece of land. The Gradwitz's had won this land in court many generations ago, even though the Znaeym still hunt off the land to the present day. .
One night Gradwitz goes looking for Znaeym to see if he's on the land. The whole time he keeps telling himself that if he sees Znaeym that he will shoot him. Then as he turns around a tree, there is Znaeym. They just stare each other down until irony strikes and the tree that they were standing next to falls upon them.
After being pinned beneath the tree for a long while the two life-long enemies decide to quit hating each other and be friends. They use the lasts of their strengths to yell for help. Irony strikes back when they see figures moving in the distance. Each hopes that it is their men so that they can be the first to be generous and have their new friend released. Sadly enough, they realize that these aren't either of their men, they"re wolves.
What great irony! These two century long enemies finally decide to end their feud just to be devoured by wolves. This is ironic because of the fact that while these two decided to end their dispute the rest of the family members don't know that. So they won't stop fighting even though these two decided to make up.
Richard Connell is also a great writer, when it comes to irony. In his story "The Most Dangerous Game" Connell's protagonist, Rainsford is on his way to Rio to go hunting. On the way he and his hunting companion, Whitney, have a conversation about what the hunted animal feels like.
