The Blithedale Romance

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Blithedale Romance: Irony 1 key example

Definition of Irony

Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... read full definition
Chapter 2: Blithedale
Explanation and Analysis—"Blithedale":

The name Blithedale evokes a happy community, but there is very little "blitheness" in Hawthorne's fictional world.  Coverdale encapsulates this irony in his commentary in Chapter 2, which combines dialogue and narration:

“How pleasant it is!” remarked I, while the snow-flakes flew into my mouth, the moment it was opened. “How very mild and balmy is this country-air!”