Re: irony
erespess@nji.com
Fri, 31 Dec 1999 13:27:24 -0500
> > if, say in a satirical play, there are people on a stage discussing
> > the terrible problems they have, e.g. deciding which cheeseburger
> > tastes better, mcdonalds or burger kings, and photos of starving
> > children are projected onto a screen behind them at the same time,
> > the effect will certainly be (intentionally) ironic.
>
>Yes, indeed. This is a perfect illustration of irony: When something said
>is different from what is meant.
>
>Ironic, but quite different from this week's news. George Harrision
>stabbed at the moment people are discussing the assassination of John
>Lennon is coincidental, because it's merely two related things happening
>at the same time. There is neither tension nor satire.
I think the situation could be seen as more than coincidence,
although still not ironic. Some might feel that it was synchronicity
- which can also hold symbolic meaning in a way similar to that of an
ironic situation. These are not the same, but they both can make
someone who perceives them feel a little eerie. Whether the event is
actually symbolic or not depends solely on an individual's reaction.
Elizabeth