Sarcastic Irony

After reading the article by, Stephen Henderson many things came to my mind. One of them being "why would the Detroit authorities pick on a small, homely, down to earth family like the Quades when there is "real" crime in downtown Detroit?" However, it wasnt until I read the comments of the readers before me that I realized a dominant literary devise in the articles. Upon reading and rereading the article and the comments below it, I concluded that the devise most prevalant was irony with a smart twist of sarcasm thrown in.

The first hint at sarcasm comes from this quote, "It wasn't, and the trash was picked up on time. But their can wound up sitting curbside for more than 24 hours because of the confusion.
The nerve! It was time to crack down." This made me chuckle, but the next part is what really got me on the floor struggling to catch my breath. "In violation of 22-2-45 of Chapter 22" of the city code, scolded the ticket left in the Quades' mailbox by the Department of Environmental Affairs bureaucrat. "Violation of time limit for container to remain at curb." After regaining consciousness from laughter I continued reading only to find that it seems empty garbage cans are more of a threat to the city and enviroment then crazy people running around with guns selling drugs, not to mention the endless mounds of "real" trash that outline the city. So, if it's a one hundred dollar fine to accidentally leave an empty can outside for a day, then I wonder what the fine is for causing thousands of dollars in damage to public buildings and the environment. What about the murderers and drug dealers on the loose? It appears all that happens to them is to get their name in the paper along with a picture (that was probably their goal in the first place).

As for the ironic part, maybe some of these quotes will get people thinking, "Shouldn't the city be working on the real problems in the neighborhood, like taking out the burned-out heaps, rather than hassling responsible home owners with tickets for their garbage cans?" "When I went out to see the Quades at their home last Wednesday, I found their block lined with empty trash cans sitting by the curb. I thought maybe it was garbage day, but Waldemar Quade reminded me that Monday was pick-up day. So what gives?" "Even more strangeness: Last Wednesday, when I visited the Quades, the neighborhood was crawling with city workers: tree trimmers, cutting back branches all over the place, even around the burned-out houses and garbage-strewn lots." If those quotes do not get you wondering what's going on over there, then its time to sit down and take a reality check. Hello!!!, City authorities are picking on the wrong people. This is obviously the message that Henderson is trying to make known. His use of sarcasm and irony strengthen his message because it puts things in black and white. The article makes clear what the city is doing wrong and not only mocks it with irony, but uses sarcasm to show what they should be doing. It's like the police are scared to go and clean up downtown Detroit. It would be wise to get it together soon before it gets any worse and after all, they are the ones with the uniform right? I'm sure there are plenty of people to fine there for illegal garbage can placement. It would be horrible to think that our city's defenders are scared of protecting their own people.

With all the things talked about, one should be able to conclude that Stephen Henderson believes that the authorities in Detroit are cracking down on the wrong people, and the real trouble makers are hardly getting a taste of what they deserve. It should also be recognized that in order to show these things Henderson make excellent use of the two literary tools of sarcasm and irony. Hopefully his writing has had an impact on people in high places, because it has on me.