Question

Read the excerpt from chapter 10 of Animal Farm.

Clover was an old stout mare now, stiff in the joints and with a tendency to rheumy eyes. She was two years past the retiring age, but in fact no animal had ever actually retired. The talk of setting aside a corner of the pasture for superannuated animals had long since been dropped.

Which phrase from this passage best shows situational irony?

"Clover was an old stout mare now"
"She was two years past the retiring age"
"no animal had ever actually retired"
"setting aside a corner of the pasture for superannuated animals"

Answer 1

"no animal had ever actually retired"

This is situational irony because the animals had expected (or were promised) that older animals would be retired and cared for, but in reality none of them ever retired — the outcome is the opposite of what was expected.