Editor's Choice
What is the irony in the title "The Winner" by Barbara Kimenye?
Quick answer:
The irony in the title "The Winner" lies in the contrast between the expected benefits of winning and the actual outcomes for the protagonist, Pius Ndawula. Initially, winning the football pools seems like a triumph, but it leads to turmoil as greedy relatives and friends exploit him. Instead of enjoying his fortune, Pius faces stress and betrayal, revealing that his "winning" brings more loss than gain, thus making the title ironic.
The irony of the title "The Winner" is that it leads the reader to believe
that the story will center around a character whose troubles are behind them.
This is not the case with Pius, who has his peaceful life completely turned
upside-down when he wins the football pools. At first, he is absolutely
delighted by relatives and friends both close and distant swarming in to
congratulate him on his good fortune.
However, as time goes by, Pius begins to see the true nature of their actions.
He is particularly perturbed by his cousin Sarah, who is actually the widow of
one of Pius's cousin's stepsons—about as distant of a relationship as one could
imagine. Salongo, Pius's closest friend, warns that Sarah is a sycophant and
means to trap him in a marriage, but Salongo lusts after Pius's money as
well.
The stress surrounding this constant badgering interferes with the simple goals
that Pius had for his winnings, giving the title "The Winner" a true air of
irony.
One definition of irony is when a word is used to mean the opposite of what it usually means. The title of this short story definitely fits this definition of irony.
In the story, Pius Ndawula has won a lot of money in the soccer pools. This is where the title of the story comes from. You would think that winning a lottery like this would truly make him a winner.
However, as the story progresses, it seems like he really has not won anything. All his relatives and friends come and start sponging off him. He finds out that all these people are really greedy and don't seem to care about him -- just about his money.
Because of this, it's hard to say Pius is a winner -- he loses most of the money and he finds out all kinds of bad stuff about his relatives and friends. Therefore, calling him the winner is ironic.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.