The trait of "Hazel Tells Laverne" by Kathryn Howd Machan that I took most notice of was the irony in the poem. Two different situations stuck out to me as being very ironic. First, I noticed dramatic irony in Hazels actions. Most readers of the poem are familiar with the story of " The Frog Prince." We know that the frog is actually a cursed prince that promises marriage for a kiss. The irony is present in the fact that Hazel does not know this, and therefore doesn't believe the promises of the frog. I found the second example in the fact that Hazel is more surprised by the frog's offer to make her a prince than by the fact that he is speaking to her. "me a princess (24,25)." The fact that frogs don't talk doesn't seem to register at all.
I think that these examples of irony give important meaning to the story. Hazel's mistrust of the frog shows a past of mistrust and manipulation. She is not used to being given kind offers. Similarly, her complete disbelief of the notion of being a princess shows that poverty is the only thing she knows. Her ancestors before her were probably uneducated and possessed lower-class jobs. Hazel herself cleans hotel bathrooms. Becoming a princess seems to go against her identity and against logic, even more so than a talking frog.
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