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How is dramatic irony created in this scene in which Mrs. Murray returns home?

a. Alison thinks that Mrs. Murray suspects something happened, but the reader knows that she doesn't have a clue.
b. Alison thinks that Mrs. Murray won't ask her to babysit again, but the reader knows that she will.
c. Mrs. Murray thinks that the twins gave Alison a hard time, but the reader knows that they had fun together.
d. Mrs. Murray thinks that Alison and the twins had a quiet evening, but the reader knows what really happened.

User Hamed
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Final answer:

Dramatic irony in the scene with Mrs. Murray is created when the reader knows what actually happened during the evening, while Mrs. Murray is under the impression that it was quiet, as displayed in option (d).

Step-by-step explanation:

Dramatic irony is a literary device where the audience is privy to information that one or more characters are unaware of. Looking at the provided examples, option (d) showcases dramatic irony. It states that Mrs. Murray thinks that Alison and the twins had a quiet evening, but the reader knows what really happened. Here, the audience knows the true events of the evening, which contradict Mrs. Murray's belief, thereby creating dramatic irony.

In the context of the other scenes, we can see how irony is utilized in different forms. For instance, in Trifles, the women understand the subtleties of Minnie Wright's life, while the men dismiss these 'trifles,' unaware that these clues point to the motive for the murder. In Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen's use of irony is to engage the reader irreverently, contradicting expectations and motivating the audience to learn more about the awkward heroine, Catherine. Lastly, the passage discussing disguise and escape from Richmond points towards an ironic situation where a significant threat is underestimated by the characters but acknowledged by the audience or reader.

User Ali Naddaf
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