The Irony of “The Right Kind of House” - “The Lady’s Maid’s Bell”
Hartley expounds, “ But I could tell by the look of everything that I had got into the right kind of house, and that things were done handsomely.” This deduction is ironic based on her realization: “ Suddenly it struck me that she might be a trained nurse, and in that case her meals would of course be served in her room. If Mrs. Brympton was an invalid it was likely enough she had a nurse. The idea annoyed me, I own, for they’re not always the easiest to get on with, and if I'd known I shouldn't have taken the place." Seemingly, Hartley's first impression of the place leads her to concluding that her work place is meticulous and her assignments would be easy. Her realization makes her remorseful for she realizes that she will be dealing with a challenging case.
The Irony of the “two eyes staring back at me” - “The Eyes”
The narrator recalls, “I was waked by the queer feeling we all know- the feeling that there was something in the room that hadn’t been there when I fell asleep. I sat up and strained my eyes into the darkness. The room was pitch black, and at first I saw nothing; but gradually a vague glimmer at the foot of the bed turned into two eyes staring back at me…But of course there wasn’t any figure there, and my fits struck at emptiness.” Initially, the narrator is convinced about the reality of an apparition which is typified by the eyes. However, later narrator confirms that the eyes are non-existent. The ironic perception of the imaginary eyes underscores the narrator’s dilemma regarding ghost. Hallucinations relating to the ghostly eyes emanate from the unconscious. Accordingly, they do not arise from the surroundings. Psychoanalytically, the narrator is unconsciously terrified by ghosts and being surveilled.
