Read the excerpt from Flannery O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.”He was more depressed than ever as he drove on by himself. The late afternoon had grown hot and sultry and the country had flattened out.Which best describes the irony in the excerpt?
Answer
A
The heat of the day is indicative of Mr. Shiftlet’s negative feelings of his life and situation.
B
Mr. Shiftlet would have preferred to travel with his new wife, Lucynell, but she has left him at the diner.
C
The young boy rejected Mr. Shiftlet’s offer to give him a ride, and now the man finds himself alone.
D
Mr. Shiftlet has the car he wanted and managed to rid himself of his wife, but he still is not happy.
Explanation
The irony is that Mr. Shiftlet has achieved what he seemed to want: he has the car and has left his new wife behind. Yet instead of feeling satisfied or free, he is “more depressed than ever” as he drives alone. Choice D captures this contrast between getting what he wanted and still being unhappy.
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