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brandimiller
brandimiller

In Arthur Clarke's "The Star," why is the ending of the story ironic?

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Posted by brandimiller on Wednesday February 18, 2009 at 9:42 AM and tagged with clarke the star, conclusion, ending, irony, the star.

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  1. gbeatty Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    There are two intertwined ironies to the ending of this classic story. The first is that in showing his love for humanity, and the great depth of his compassion, God killed another race. This is ironic in the extreme, almost paradoxical: how can you show love through killing? The second irony is that in resolving one question (was there divine intervention in the star that shone over Bethlehem?), a second and larger one is created: What is so special about humanity that God would kill off an entire race of aliens to bring us joy?

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    Posted by gbeatty on Wednesday February 18, 2009 at 3:29 PM