Question

Which phrase or sentence in this excerpt from Kurt Vonnegut's "Report on the Barnhouse Effect" demonstrates the use of irony?

One long bench had been brought in for the ten of us privileged to watch. The television screens showed, from left to right, the stretch of desert which was the rocket target, the guinea-pig fleet, and a section of the Aleutian sky through which the radio-controlled bomber formation would roar.

Ninety minutes before H-hour the radios announced that the rockets were ready, that the observation ships had backed away to what was thought to be a safe distance, and that the bombers were on their way. The small Virginia audience lined up on the bench in order of rank, smoked a great deal, and said little. Professor Barnhouse was in his bedroom. General Barker bustled about the house like a woman preparing Thanksgiving dinner for twenty.

At ten minutes before H-hour the general came in, shepherding the professor before him.


A.One long bench had been brought in for the ten of us privileged to watch

B.The television screens showed, from left to right, the stretch of desert which was the rocket target,

C.Ninety minutes before H-hour the radios announced that the rockets were ready, that the observation ships had backed away to what was thought to be a safe distance

D.At ten minutes before H-hour the general came in, shepherding the professor before him

Answer 1

Answer: A.One long bench had been brought in for the ten of us privileged to watch.

Irony is a rhetorical device and literary technique in which an event is presented in a radically different way than what is actually the case. In this example, the fact that the students are watching the bombing is described as a "privilege." However, the event is unpleasant in its nature, and most people would not want to watch it. Therefore, the description of the event as a "privilege" is meant to be ironic.

Answer 2

The correct answer is A. One long bench had been brought in for the ten of us privileged to watch.
They are watching a site on Earth which is going to be bombarded and annihilated from the face of the Earth. The entire sentence is ironic because Vonnegut says they were 'privileged' to watch such a scenario unfold, which is obviously sarcastic.