The Irony of It All

            
             A quick example of irony is when you have a thousand spoons and all you need is a knife. "The Story of an Hour," "The Storm," and "Desiree's Baby" are three of Kate Chopin's stories that illustrate her great use of irony. Each story has its own unique theme and plot that catches the reader's attention and focus. Kate Chopin has used irony to its fullest potential, creating short stories that capture the reader.
             "Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery" (84). That is what Armand's mother wrote to his father in Chopin's "Desiree's Baby." The irony revolves around the two main characters and their baby, who is dark-skinned. As Desiree and Armand's baby grows older, its skin also grows darker. Desiree notices how Armand's personality changes for the worse when he tries to avoid her and the baby daily. Armand says since the baby is not white, Desiree is not white, even though her skin is fairer than Armand's. When Desiree and the baby leave, Armand burns all of their belongings. The reader might have thought that she was in an affair with one of Armand's slave or that her unknown ancestry had something to do with the baby being dark skinned. The irony is revealed as Armand is burning the personal belongings when he comes across some letters. One of the letters is from his mother to his father. It explains how Armand's mother was a slave and that he is the reason the child was dark-skinned.
             Hobson Fulcher 2.
             "The Storm" deals with two main characters, Calixta and Alcee. The plot in this .
             story revolves around the adultery that Calixta and Alcee commit. Calixta's husband and son are stranded at the store when a storm rolls in. When Calixta is closing up her house, her old lover Alcee comes over on horseback to see her. Due to Calixta and Alcee's past history together, Calixta feels uneasy with Alcee's presence.