Question

Use the information to answer the question:
"A student writes a story about a carpenter who is about to retire after over forty years of building houses. When he builds his last house, he doesn't put forth the same effort that he usually does because he is ready to retire, so the house he builds is not of the best quality. When he is finished, his employer rewards him by giving him the keys to the house and telling him that it is his retirement present."

How does this story reflect situational irony?

a. While the main character did not know that he would be given the house, the reader knew all
along.

b. By having the main character do poor work, the author challenged the reader's expectations.

c. Neither the reader nor the main character anticipated the house being a retirement present.

d. The main character knew the house would be his retirement present, so he did a poor job building it.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

**c. Neither the reader nor the main character anticipated the house being a retirement present.**

This reflects situational irony because the carpenter, who is ready to retire, does not put in his usual effort into building the last house, thinking it is just another job. However, the twist at the end is that the house is actually a retirement gift, which neither he nor the reader expected.