Irony in a literary work primarily serves to create a disconnect between appearance and reality, often leading to deeper emotional or intellectual engagement from the reader. The option that best captures the role of irony is:
It creates a disconnect in the reader between what is happening in the story and what occurs in daily life.
This use of irony can highlight contrasts, provoke thought, and add layers of meaning to the text, encouraging readers to reflect on the differences between expectation and reality.