Mr. Shiftlet was so shocked that for about a hundred feet he drove along slowly with the door stiff open. A cloud, the exact color of the boy's hat and shaped like a turnip, had descended over the sun, and another, worse looking, crouched behind the car. Mr. Shiftlet felt that the rottenness of the world was about to engulf him. He raised his arm and let it fall again to his breast. "Oh Lord!" he prayed. "Break forth and wash the slime from this earth!"
How does this example of irony help develop the character of Mr. Shiftlet?
It shows that despite his immoral actions toward Lucynell, he doesn’t think he’s part of the “slime.”
It illustrates that he made the right decision when he left Lucynell and picked up the boy instead.
It reinforces the idea that he regrets his actions toward Lucynell and is seeking forgiveness.
1 answer
The correct answer is: It shows that despite his immoral actions toward Lucynell, he doesn’t think he’s part of the “slime.”
This example of irony reveals Mr. Shiftlet's self-perception and his inability to recognize his own moral failings. While he prays for the "slime" of the world to be washed away, he remains oblivious to his own role within that rottenness, emphasizing a disconnect between his actions and his self-image.
