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The Catbird Seat: Verbal Irony

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In the short story “The Catbird Seat,” the author James Thurber develops verbal, dramatic, and situational irony by his plot structure. In the beginning of the story Mrs. Barrows says phrases like “Are you tearing up the pea patch?” Right after that an employee explains to Mr. Martin what is means. He says, “‘Tearing up the pea patch’ meant going on a rampage.” That section of the story is verbal irony because Mrs. Burrows is saying phrases she doesn't really mean. Later in the story Mr. Martin says, “‘Gentlemen of the jury,’ he said to himself, ‘I demand the death penalty for this horrible person.’ When he says this he is talking about Mrs. Barrows because he is frustrated with her. This evidence shows dramatic irony because we know Mr. Martin

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