Question

It was one of those days that I didn't mind going to school because the weather was so pretty. The sky was overcast with clouds, and the air felt like a warm bath. I don't think I ever felt that clean before. When I got home, I had to mow the lawn for my allowance, and I didn't mind one bit. I just listened to the music, and breathed in the day, and remembered things. Things like walking around the neighborhood and looking at the houses and the lawns and the colorful trees and having that be enough.

How would this passage be different if it had been written in an ironic tone? How would the meaning of the passage change? How might that affect the theme?

Answer 1

The text above states how the speaker feels happy to face a new day, and how he wants to appreciate the beauty of everything that surrounds him. He has a positive attitude, and even his chores are delightful to him. If the text had been written in an ironic tone, this would imply that the speaker is in fact dissatisfied with his life, and that he does not want to face any of his duties. This would severely affect the meaning and theme of the passage, as it would change his positive outlook in life to one of negativity and displeasure.

Answer 2

The excerpt above is from "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". The lines are written in sharp honesty and vulnerability. If it is written in an ironic tone, it means that the narrator is not satisfied with his life. Theme of the story would become different because if would lose the sincere type of narration of the boy who is coming of age.