Student Question
Why is the sentence "There is no lake at Camp Green Lake" ironic?
Quick answer:
The sentence "There is no lake at Camp Green Lake" is ironic because the name suggests the presence of a lake, yet none exists. Irony involves an outcome contrary to expectations, similar to a fire station burning down. Camp Green Lake's name implies a lake as its central feature, making its absence unexpected and ironic, especially given the camp's function as a juvenile correctional facility.
Irony is when something happens that is different from what one might have expected. The irony is particularly pronounced if that something is the direct opposite of what one might have expected.
A good example of irony would be a fire station burning down. Nobody would expect a fire station to burn down, because a fire station has all of the equipment necessary to extinguish fires. A fire station also exists specifically to put out fires, so it would be especially ironic for it to burn down.
In Holes, Camp Green Lake is a corrections facility for children. Its name suggests that there will be a lake there. Indeed, the camp seems to be named after a lake, so one might expect the lake to be its defining characteristic. The fact that there is no lake at a place called Camp Green Lake is ironic.
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