Plain Old Irony

Irony is prevalent in Once Upon a Time by Nadine Gordimer. The first irony I noticed was that the author was creating a children's story when she said she would not do so. She clearly said that she does not write them and that she ought to not write them, "I don't accept that I 'ought' to write anything." (Gordimer, 231). Another irony I noticed was that the family's attempt to protect themselves caused harm. Rather than their walls protecting their family, it only caused the death of their son. Another irony I noticed was the sign "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED". The family used the sign to warn others of danger, but they never accepted the warning themselves. The last irony I noticed was that the neighborhood was causing its own downfall. The alarm systems the neighborhood installed were triggered by their pets. Soon, no one paid attention to the alarms. Soon, thieves started to steal items while the alarms were going off because no one realized their foolishness. Irony is an essential part of Nadine's not so great children's story.