Response to “Popsy” and “Harrison Bergeron” In Popsy, by Stephen King, irony is used to highlight human nature. Although this story is unrealistic and a little far-fetched, the details make it seem realistic to the end. The story begins with the main character, Sheridan, arriving at Cousintown Mall. We soon discover that he is looking for a child to kidnap to repay his gambling debts. After finding a primary target, Sheridan initiates contact, discovering that the boy had lost his "Popsy". After a bit of work, he puts the boy in his truck, cuffs him, and drives off to hand him over to Mr. Wizard. First, there is irony in the ease with which Sheridan kidnaps the boy. Passersby see him talking to the boy and based solely on his appearance decide that the situation is OK and that Sheridan is a good guy, saying: “A woman who entered looked around with vague concern. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay “It's all right,” Sheridan told her, and she went on” (Popsy). By saying this, King shows that not everything and everyone is what they appear to be. This woman seemed worried, but after seeing this normal looking guy and saying everything was fine, she deemed the situation ok. Ironically, this seemingly normal boy was kidnapping a child. Also, ironically, the boy continually warns Sheridan of the abilities of his Popsy, who is very strong, can fly and will find him. Sheridan's disbelief becomes ironic when Popsy literally lands on the moving vehicle and we discover that Popsy can, in fact, fly. The boy had tried to tell Sheridan, but he hadn't heeded his warnings. This story also highlights the fact of human nature that people will do whatever it takes to survive. Sheridan owes money to the wrong people and the only way to save himself is to kidnap the children and hand them over to Mr. Wizard. While there are signs that he doesn't like doing it, ultimately the message is conveyed that he, and humans in general, will do whatever is necessary to survive. Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron also uses irony to say something about human nature. This story, while more of a science fiction story than a horror story, also uses details to make a futuristic, unrealistic story seem realistic or relatable. Set in the future, this story tells the reader about a world where everyone is equal. No one can be better than anyone else, and anyone born with a skill or talent is taken away from them by the government. However, everyone accepts this world as they believe it is better than the old way, saying of the past, “Soon we would return to the dark ages again, with everyone competing against everyone else. You wouldn't like that, would you?" (2). They refer to the past as the "dark ages", implying its horror, and also point out that neither of them would wish to go back to that time. Ironically, although they describe the past as horrible, the world they currently live in is actually horrible, they are accepting their new world and do not wish to break away from it This seems to be part of human nature, that they do not want to break away from the norm or be different. Keep in mind: this is just one example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay What I learned from these stories: From these stories, I learned that it is possible to write about incredible things or fictional futuristic worlds, while still seeming realistic to the reader King and Vonnegut in some way they describe in great detail these things that don't exist, and make them.