Jack decided to do a little tidying up in the kitchen. The countertop looked cluttered, he felt. If he just rearranged the cabinet, he could probably fit more things in them. Then the countertop would be nice and clear. He opened the cabinet, pulled out a stack of dishes, and placed them on the counter. Just for now, he thought. He was sure he could jam the toaster into the cabinet and keep it there when he wasn’t using it. He unplugged the toaster and picked it up. A spray of crumbs fell out onto the counter. An attractive addition to his kitchen décor, Jack thought. He would clean it up in just a little bit. Meantime, he would get the toaster into the cabinet. Except that there were some glasses in the way. Jack pulled the glasses out and put them next to the stack of plates on the counter. Then he realized that the toaster was too deep to fit into the cabinet, so he put that back on the counter. He sighed, and the crumbs that had spilled from the toaster blew around. This project was certainly going well! Jack slid the drawer open and began pulling forks, spoons, and knives from it. Soon he had a small mountain of utensils sitting next to the plates and glasses. No matter; he would rearrange them neatly soon enough. Next, he took out some wooden spoons, a spatula, and a ladle. There was no more room for them on the counter, so he laid them on top of the stack of plates. Jack surveyed the kitchen. Where, exactly, had he planned to move everything? He couldn’t remember having a plan. He figured he’d put the plates and glasses back in the cabinet, and the utensils and cooking tools back in the drawer. He could continue to keep the toaster on the counter, though he should probably do something about all those crumbs. He’d do it later. The kitchen, he figured, was tidy enough for now.

Question

What is ironic about the ending to the story (paragraphs 4–6)?

A. Jack knew he should clean up the crumbs on his counter.
B. Jack believed that the way to tidy a kitchen was to put things away even though his things were clean.
C. Jack did not have a plan to make his kitchen tidier.
D. Jack decided his kitchen was clean enough even though it was messier than when he had started to tidy it.

Answer 1

The irony in the ending of the story lies in the fact that Jack started with the intention of tidying up his kitchen, but by the end, the kitchen was actually messier than when he began. Therefore, the best answer is:

D. Jack decided his kitchen was clean enough even though it was messier than when he had started to tidy it.