Question #N640
The following passage is from the novel *The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn* by Mark Twain: \\"I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks do for their'n. It don't seem natural, but I reckon it's so.\\" How does this passage reflect Twain’s use of irony?
The irony in this passage comes from the fact that
A. the speaker’s belief that the character’s actions are unnatural is ultimately proven correct by the events that follow.
B. the speaker’s belief that the character is capable of caring for others is undermined by the character’s actions.
C. the speaker’s belief that the character’s actions are unnatural is contradicted by the speaker’s own observations of the character.
D. the speaker’s belief that the character is capable of caring for others is contradicted by the character’s own words.
Correct Answer is: C
The speaker is surprised by the character's capacity for compassion, but the speaker's own observations of the character throughout the book demonstrate that the character's actions are consistent with this capacity for caring. The irony lies in the contrast between the speaker's initial disbelief and the evidence that contradicts that disbelief.