BNW15 - Super Situational Irony

"She stepped forward, she touched him on the shoulder. 'Can't you behave?' she said in a low, angry voice." (Brave New World, pg. 206) In our day, we would expect that the nurse was going to comfort John. But the opposite happens - she scolds him. Then, from her point of view, she expects John to accept death in stride. Instead, he's bawling by his mother's bedside. I call this Super Situational Irony. From every viewpoint, the unexpected occurs. I find this a bit of genious on the author's part. It's not obvious, but the all-around irony is there. I see it as Huxley's way of teaching us to consider other people's viewpoints. Many people need to learn how to do this.