Situational irony-the police killing the man from underground
The man who lived underground finally comes out to the surface to make a big confession to the world about the inherent guilt and senselessness of humanity. He decides to go back to the policemen who initially captured and beat him, to show them the room plastered with money underground. After he goes back down the manhole, one of the police man fatally shoots him. This abrupt end with the killing of the main protagonist is an unexpected and tragic turn of events, and it represents situational irony.
Situation irony of “Big Black Good Man”
“Big Black Good Man” is a story that shows racial prejudice against a black man solely based on his appearance. The entire story is made out of Olaf’s inner prejudiced monologue, hating the black man and hating feeling intimidated by him. The story ends with an unexpected twist, with the black man being a good-natured tailor bringing gift shirts to the hotel owner. This turn of events is unexpected and somewhat comedic, and it represents situational irony.
Situational irony of “Man, God ain’t Like That…”
The situational irony in the story “Man, God ain’t Like That” is made out of the sudden killing of the main male white character by the African boy Babu. The white man decides to bring Babu to Paris, and immediately loses him. After a couple of months, Babu appears and kills the white man, convinced that he is Jesus and that he will resurrect. This sudden turn of events in the somewhat comedic story is grotesque and unexpected.
The irony of the effect of racial hatred on black men
In his autobiographical story, the author reflects on the issues that come with the existence of black men in racist America from personal experiences. He comments on the irony of hatred of black men, the dire effect that it has on their psychological health and destructiveness of their self-worth:
“Hated by white and being an organic part of the culture that hated him, the black men grew in turn to hate in himself that which others hated in him. But pride would make him hate his self-hate, for he would not want whites to know that he was so thoroughly conquered by them that his total life was condition by their attitude; but in the act of hiding his self-hate, he could not help but hate those who evoked his self-hate in him.”
