The Irony of The Dill Pickle
...ers—Vera and “He/Him” The short story A Dill Pickle by Katherine Mansfield is a wonderful example of a story with an ironic twist. The story takes place at a restaurant table and right from the very beginning, the audience can see themselves as being merely another patron sitting at the next table; watching and listening to everything that is happening between the two main characters. While the author never stated what either of the characters—Vera and “He/Him” (who’s name we never actually learn)—were really thinking, she portrayed their mannerisms and revealed enough of their personalities to allow the reader to come to his or her own conclusions “He must have felt that shock of recognition…” Based on their reactions and movements, the reader could derive things about the characters, their past relationship, and the places that they...