The bridegroom came with a friend to inspect the bride. Her parents were dizzy with anxiety and fear when they saw the god arrive to select the beast for his sacrifice.

What is ironic about the use of “god” in this passage?

Question

The bridegroom came with a friend to inspect the bride. Her parents were dizzy with anxiety and fear when they saw the god arrive to select the beast for his sacrifice.

What is ironic about the use of “god” in this passage?

SmokeyBrown · Answer

So, to answer the question, we not only need to understand the meaning of the passage but also understand irony. In conversation, when people say something is 'ironic', they usually mean that something was unexpected in some way. In literature, irony means that one thing is written, but the opposite is meant. It's like sarcasm, in a way.

SmokeyBrown · Answer

So, if the use of 'god' in the passage is ironic, the writer isn't actually saying that the bridegroom has godlike qualities; just the opposite, in fact. I'm not sure how much you can infer from the passage, or if there's more to go along with it. But assuming that's all we have to work with, why might the author mean when they say, 'the god arrive to select the beast for his sacrifice'?

SmokeyBrown · Answer

Now, I'm making an assumption that the author is using a metaphor here, comparing (ironically) the bridesgroom to a 'god'. Do you agree with this interpretation? And what might the 'beast for sacrifice' be referring to?