Irony in

A detailed Summary of Irony in

Anzia Yezierska, in The Lost Beautifulness, uses irony as a principle literary device to convey her themes of immigration to the reader. The story is built on one ironic situation after the other, even though it is not immediately clear; it only becomes apparent once the story has been read and the different incidents fixed together. The Lost Beautifulness culminates into an ending based on the layering of many events that the author subtly manipulates throughout the story. Illustrated by the strong usage of irony, Yezierska reveals the discrimination against immigrants in America and how they were often taken advantage of in many situations.

Hanneh Hayyeh's one desire in the story is to paint her kitchen white so it will be beautiful for her son's return from the army. " I begged myself by the landlord to paint up my kitchen, but he wouldn't listen to me. So I seen that if I ever hoped to fix up my house, I'd have to spend my own money [...]"(Yezierska). She does use her own money earned from washing extra clothes to buy the paint but really doesn't have enough money to spend on things outside the necessary to survive. Hanneh even makes the ironical comment that "Making money ain't everything in life" (Yezierska), although

Regardless of the problems that may arise, Hanneh pleads with Mr. Benjamin Rosenblatt, the landlord, to come in and see the work that she has done to turn the tenement around. He does not express his true feelings about the painting until a few days later while right now he only cares about getting his money from the renters. The landlord's greediness is evident in the letter Hanneh receives demanding a five dollar increase in the monthly rent. "From where can I squeeze out the five dollars more for you?" (Yezierska) Obviously she is enraged at the landlord's outrageous demand since she has no money to spare. Mr. Rosenblatt knows that Hanneh does not have the money to pay a higher rent, but he follows through with his plans simply because the profit will help him have the luxuries he desires. The letter is a major turning point in the story simply because all the other events are based on the landlord's demand for more money.

In all of her efforts to find help, Hanneh turns to her closest friend, Mrs. Preston, for advice and comfort. Mrs. Preston is the one person that Hanneh admires and places strong trust in on issues such as her injustice. "Democracy means that everybody in America is going to be with everybody alike"(Yezierska). Mrs. Preston tries to ease Hanneh's pain by claiming that everyone will be equal after the war, but really has no other help to offer Hanneh-except for charity. "But in the meantime, Hanneh Hayyeh, you must accept this to tide you over" (Yezierska). Ironically, the money that she offers may well have come from being a landlord herself, and quite possibly inflicting the same pain on her tenants that Hanneh is experiencing.

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Approximate Word count = 1151
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English