Jane Austen #2: Irony and Satire + Carrots for Days

Two of the exemplary aspects of Jane Austen’s writing are irony and satire. Instead of saying things that might otherwise come across as rude, Austen’s characters often take a more witty approach. Just like in real life, using irony and satire can soften the blow and allow you to get away with saying something that might have otherwise offended someone.

I have to admit, I haven’t spent a great deal of time learning to write in this way, but I’m excited to give it a go.

Carrots for Days (My Attempt):

“You’ll be heading up North for the weekend then?” David asked with a frown.

“Yes, but like I said, it isn’t because I want to,” Amelia responded as she pulled her hat snugly onto her head. “I have to, if I don’t my father would kill me.”

“He doesn’t sound like a very good father, are you sure it’s safe to visit him?”

Amelia rolled her eyes, “very funny. It’s a figure of speech. I simply mean that my father cares for me, that’s all. Besides, you should be more worried about my travels up there. It can be dangerous, you know. The roads get slick this time of year.”

David grinned, snapped his fingers and pointed at her, “that’s it! It’s too dangerous! You can’t go!”

Amelia started buttoning up her coat and allowed herself a slight smile, she liked David, something about his energy lit up her day, “And you could have a heart attack from all that greasy pizza you’ve been eating. I mean, maybe you’re right. Perhaps I should stay home, lock myself in my room, and eat carrots until I grow old and die.”

“Nah, that’d never work,” David said with a sigh, “clearly you haven’t thought this out well enough. Think about it, you’d need to exercise still and sticking to a carrot diet would turn your skin orange.”

Amelia rolled her eyes and leaned in to kiss David on the cheek, “I have to go see my family. You know that.”

David smiled, blushed, and put a hand to his cheek as Amelia stepped back, “Well, you’re right about the heart attack, but I don’t think it’s the pizza that’s giving it to me.”

How Did my Example Use Irony and Satire?

The first use of irony in my short story appears in the form of Amelia’s father. The idea suggests that her father cares for her, yet she says “my father would kill me.” These are contradicting ideas, yet the reader easily understands the expression. To help drive the point forward, David responds by saying “He doesn’t sound like a very good father, are you sure it’s safe to visit him?” Note the irony in how he takes Amelia’s words literally, even though he likely understands exactly what she means. In a similar fashion, Amelia bringing up greasy pizza as a possible way to die is another piece of Irony.

On the satire side, this piece could be considered a satire on the absurdity of family expectations. It shows how sometimes the things we say can be interpreted differently if we take them literally. Satire, like how Amelia suggests that she could lock herself in her room and eat nothing but carrots, points out extreme situations to make simple points. In this case, Amelia’s satire is also met with Irony when David again responds as though she were serious. 

What Did I Learn from this Exercise?

Irony and Satire can be a great tool to help readers connect with your story. Not only does it make the characters feel smarter, but it adds an element of comedy. I can easily see how learning to use Irony and Satire in a skillful way would really spice up an author’s writing. It isn’t the easiest thing to pull off, but I can clearly see how Jane Austen’s ability helped her become known as well as she is today.