In her short story "Fruit and Words," Aimee Bender's use of irony helps her to convey certain messages. For example, when the narrator and the flat lady says that she was able to capture hope. She did so by attending numerous weddings and capping the bottle just after the couple said their "I do's." At this moment, the newly married couple has nothing but hope for a brighter future with their new spouse. After a 7 year relationship the narrator had just been left at the alter when her boyfriend got cold feet. Ironically, the narrator had absolutely no hope for a brighter future with her boyfriend. Furthermore, the narrator also breaks the hope. This symbolizes her current situation because her hopes were broken when her boyfriend decided against the marriage.
Another example of irony in this story is when the narrator realizes that the mangoes have rotted. After breaking the flat lady's words, the narrator left in a rush. Shortly after, she finds the mangoes she so desperately craved have become brown and covered with flies. They were no longer the ripe juicy mangoes she had bought just an hour earlier. This may suggest that the flat lady had some sort of supernatural powers, because not enough time had passed for the mangoes or the pit to rot.
-Cailee 6
Good observations about the use of irony in Bender's story.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think the mangoes rot? Is it because the narrator has no hope and her life is bleak? Or could it be because they have served their purpose and are no longer needed--thus they magically disappear? For you, is the conclusion of the story hopeful or hopeless?