Help me with a summer Reading Log. Dramatic Irony is...?

Question

I am writing a reading log of all the book I have read this summer for school and about this particular book (Secret of Vesuvius) I want to say I like the use of Dramatic Irony because you, the reader, knows Mount Vesuvius is a volcano but the characters don't. Would this be correct? I know Dramatic Irony refers to a play, not a book but would the terminology still be correct? Or not?

Sorry, I did this in class but hey I have had 6 weeks holiday (well nearly) and I am confused about whether it would apply? (fuzzy brain syndrome!)

Thanks for your help,

Hyacinth

PS. This needs to be handed in on Tuesday, so I need to know by Monday so the quicker we could get some answers the better, eh?!

Answer 1

i guess so...

just say something like:

in this portrayal, the audience (ie. readers) are aware of this fact whereas the characters aren't. this is an example of the dramatic irony which provides such an integral part of the novel.

it shows the book as similar to a play, and therefore should allow  this terminology

Answer 2

This is just what dramatic irony is - the audience is on it but the characters aren't.

Of course the people of AD79 Pomepeii, Ischia and Ercolano really didn't know it was a volcano: in fact they didn't even have a word for one. Boy, were they ever surprised. Rather appositely volacanoes were subsequently named after the God of Fire, Vulcan.