Situational Irony

Nicholas Nickleby

by Charles Dickens

Nicholas Nickleby: Situational Irony 1 key example

Situational Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Smike's Identity:

Given Ralph's hatred of Smike and Nicholas both, it is deeply ironic that Smike ends up being Ralph's biological child. This use of irony may appear quite surface-level to readers—a mere plot device, intended to provide intrigue and keep readers hooked as the story progresses. Given Dickens's social-scientific context at the time of Nicholas Nickleby's publication, however, the implications of this plot point run deeper.