I think the dominant irony presented in the passage would be :
The Houyhnhnms. the most rational beings on earth, are discussing the extermination of an entire group of creatures.
You can see that in this sentence, the second part of the statement contradict the statement on the first part.
Quote from Chapter 2:
"Why...the way a guy will.....Just wanted to move....Just says 'gimme my time one night, that way any guy would."
Explanation:
Brainlist Please!
Answer:
The guard was carrying a gun, in case one of the prisoners would try to escape.
<em>hope it helps</em>
Based on the given quote above by Harold Bloom, I believe that the answer would be the second option, which is PROGRESSIVE. The statement is not considered traditional since it does not only focus on a certain situation. This is well applicable to most of the writers or authors out there. Hope this helps.
