When Atticus praises Jem by telling her she has "perpetrated a near libel," his praise is ironic because libel is a criminal act. To commit libel is to publish a statement intended to defame the character of another person (or group of people). Aside from its criminal aspect, libel is generally not an act for which someone would receive praise, because it carries with it a strongly negative association. So, for Jem to receive a positive response for what is certainly a negative action amplifies the irony of Atticus's statement.
No comments:
Post a Comment