Question

Read the excerpt from "Harrison Bergeron."

“Ladies and gentlemen—” said the ballerina, reading the bulletin. She must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous. And it was easy to see that she was the strongest and most graceful of all the dancers, for her handicap bags were as big as those worn by two-hundred-pound men.

What is ironic about this excerpt?



The ballerina is described as beautiful, but she is actually hideous.

The news bulletin being read on the television is about Harrison.

The ballerina is able to read the news bulletin flawlessly while wearing a mask and handicap bags.

The handicaps devised to conceal the ballerina’s strength and beauty actually accentuate them.

Answer 1

Answer: D) The handicaps devised to conceal the ballerina’s strength and beauty actually accentuate them.

Explanation: an irony is a state of affairs or an event that seems contrary to what one expects and it often has an amusing result. In the given excerpt from "Harrison Bergeron" the irony is that the ballerina is wearing handicaps that are supposed to conceal her beauty, grace and strength, but they actually accentuate those characteristics, which seems contradictory, so the correct answer is option D.

Answer 2

The correct answer is the last option-The handicaps devised to conceal the ballerina’s strength and beauty actually accentuate them.

It is ironic because usually one associates beauty with something delicate and fragile. However, here it is the physical strength that makes this woman appealing. The author is not necessarily attracted by her physical appearance per se, but by the persistence and toughness present in her ability to endure the hardship of carrying the handicap bags.