A Long Way Gone
Which of the following is NOT an example of dramatic irony?
A. Ishmael is excited to see his family in the next town, but he has already told us (early in the story) that he never saw them again.
B. Ishmael fears for his life while in conflict with the rebels, but this is a memoir, so we know that he survives.
C. Ishmael tells us several folk tales, but he does not directly explain to us what the connection is between the tales and the overall narrative.
D. When Ishmael is brought to Freetown for rehabilitation, he believes that he is safe, and the worst is behind him. But history tells us that the war was far from over.
. Ishmael and his friends spend the first half of the novel fleeing for their lives. Ishmael points out that whenever they run from a rebel raid, they do not have a destination in mind. Instead, they simply run in any direction that isn’t towards the rebel attackers. However, we (the readers) can see their path on the map in the front of the book. So we know that the boys are gradually traveling south and east… ever deeper into the rebel-controlled territory.