Read the excerpt from "The Storyteller.” "You don’t seem to be a success as a storyteller,” said the bachelor suddenly from his

Question

2 months ago

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Read the excerpt from "The Storyteller.” "You don’t seem to be a success as a storyteller,” said the bachelor suddenly from his

corner. The aunt bristled in instant defense at this unexpected attack. "It’s a very difficult thing to tell stories that children can both understand and appreciate,” she said stiffly. "I don’t agree with you,” said the bachelor. "Perhaps you would like to tell them a story,” was the aunt’s retort. "Tell us a story,” demanded the bigger of the small girls. "Once upon a time,” began the bachelor, "there was a little girl called Bertha, who was extraordinarily good.” The children’s momentarily-aroused interest began at once to flicker; all stories seemed dreadfully alike, no matter who told them. Which statement best explains the situational irony that occurs in the passage? The aunt wants the bachelor to tell a good story, but he does not. The bachelor fears that the children will not like his story, but they do. The bigger girl does not expect the bachelor to tell a story, but he does. The aunt does not expect the bachelor to tell a story, but he does.

English

2 answers:

Lady bird [7.4K] · Answer 1 · 2026-03-17T12:01:05+03:00

Answer:

It is true that the right response is that the aunt does not expect the bachelor to narrate a story, yet he goes ahead and does.

Explanation:

The Storyteller is a short tale by Hector Hugh Munro, who wrote under the pen name Saki, and the story unfolds during a road trip. The characters in the excerpt include the children, the aunt, and the bachelor.

Irony is defined as the discrepancy between expectations and actual outcomes. In the excerpt, there are two instances of it: the first aligns with the correct response, anticipating the bachelor to remain silent, which he ultimately does not; the second occurs after the bachelor begins his story, where the children exhibit initial interest but swiftly realize that all narratives sound monotonously alike.

Lady bird [7.4K] · Answer 2 · 2026-03-17T12:01:08+03:00

The aunt was merely provoking him to narrate a story, likely hoping he would concede and refrain from criticizing her. Thus, it can be said that the aunt doesn't anticipate the bachelor to tell a tale, but he does. The ironic aspect lies in how quickly the children lose interest in his story