Question

Read the excerpt from Flannery O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.” “My only,” the old woman said, “and she’s the sweetest girl in the world. I wouldn’t give her up for nothing on earth. She’s smart too. She can sweep the floor, cook, wash, feed the chickens, and h o. I wouldn’t give her up for a casket of jewels.” Which best describes the irony of the excerpt? Mrs. Crater asserts that Lucynell can sweep, cook, feed the chickens, and h o. but the girl also is very smart. Mrs. Crater is describing all of her daughter’s strengths to Mr. Shiftlet in the hopes that he will marry Lucynell. Mrs. Crater says she values her daughter more than anything in the world, but then she gives her away for a car. Mrs. Crater claims that she would not give her daughter away for anything, when in fact she gives her away for nothing at all.

Answer 1

The best answer is Mrs. Crater claims that she would not give her daughter away for anything, when in fact she gives her away for nothing at all.

Explanation

If you talk about the irony of a situation, you mean that it is odd or amusing because it involves a contrast. So when Mr. Crater says "I wouldn’t give her up for nothing on earth", she doesn't mean it because she even pays Mr. Shiftlet to marry her daughter.

The other answers does not demonstrate the true irony of the excerpt:

1. Mrs. Crater asserts that Lucynell can sweep, cook, feed the chickens, and h o. but the girl also is very smart: This can be considered ironic but it is not the irony of the whole excerpt.
2. Mrs. Crater is describing all of her daughter’s strengths to Mr. Shiftlet in the hopes that he will marry Lucynell: This is not an irony.
3. Crater says she values her daughter more than anything in the world, but then she gives her away for a car: This is not true.