The phrases or sentences in the above excerpt from Kurt Vonnegut's "Report on the Barnhouse Effect" which demonstrates the use of irony is:
“The television screens showed, from left to right, the stretch of desert which was the rocket target,”
“Ninety minutes before H-hour the radios announced that the rockets were ready, that the observation ships had backed away to what was thought to be a safe distance,”
Kurt Vonnegut's short story "Report on the Barnhouse Effect" is an example of postmodernism because of the use of irony on a serious topic.
He expresses his feelings about the war with his personal experience. His reaction to the war, bombings and the ills of scientific advancement brought distress in his life. He accepted the deaths as the result of the war in a very casual manner. Throughout the stories, he uses irony and sarcasm to bring the effects of the war in a different look. Using irony and sarcasm to describe serious topics like war and destruction is one of the characteristics of postmodern literature.
