Situational Irony Analysis of the Irony
35 As a mother, her situation is understandable, to fight for every account of
his son’s life. It does not matter anymore, in what ways she would take, as long as she could accomplish it. The actions take more account for the goals to be
actualised. Because writing letters does not make any good to Donny Ray, prosecuting Great Benefit becomes the last option she braces to take. Seeing him
suffered without getting the treatment is already a torture for herself. It is supposed to be her that can provide the treatment. She has done what she is obliged. She pays
eighteen dollars per week for five years as she purchases the insurance of Great Benefit to cover her family. Instead, all claims she proposes are denied. Further,
she has to do everything before anything happens to him. Donny Ray’s life becomes
the strength she has to strive. Aware of the situation, Rudy also does his best to save Donny Ray.
The hearing has started officially with the help of the judge. Even when Great Benefit tries to hinder the investigation process, the judge is more than
capable of handling the situation. Both Rudy and Dot are nervous for their first case, but everything goes well. Great Benefit is actually wrong, and they also realise it
that they offer sum of cash to settle the case. As the offer is conveyed to Dot, she grows more infuriated.
Her eyes are red and wet. I was wrong. This mother has not given up. She wants blood. Just exactly whatre we supposed to do with seventy-five
thousand dollars? Donny Rayll be dead, and itll just be me and him. She points with her forehead in the direction of the Fairlane p. 278.
The unfold of the next story is unexpected. Donny Ray has died, after his condition
worsens days before. Dot, as if she already gets a feeling about it, does not cry much PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
36 of him. In fact, she looks a bit tired of mourning on him when Rudy goes to meet
her pp. 392-395. On the following days, Dot is still in grief that at one time, she is unable to
handle the courtroom and its sessions. On the other hand, it would be too wasteful to give up in the middle of the hearing process. Since Rudy has found all
wrongfulness and misdeed Great Benefit has committed towards Donny Ray, it needs only a short time for them to be punished. Fortunately, Dot is able to muster
up all courage and rationality until the end of the legal process pp. 467-512. Even when she has to choose between her feelings of despair and punishing the wrong
ones. It is unexpected for her to keep going on with the process. It is more common to choose stopping the process as a mourn to the dead one.
Thus, the death of Donny Ray in the middle of hearing process is a situational irony. The death of Donny Ray which once is considered as the finish
line of the law process actually turns out to be the new baton. The new baton still has to keep being passed onto the next runner in order to cross the finish line in a
marathon race. Similarly, the death of Donny Ray is not the finish line where Rudy is supposed to stop the trial. It should be treated as a continuous struggle to prove
that Great Benefit has actually done something wrong toward Donny Ray and his family. The death of Donny Ray occurs as situational irony since it carries two
conflicting points; the new baton and the finish line as in a marathon race. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
37
c Eternal Loss vs Justice on Rudy W inning the Blacks’ Case
D’ Amato 2011 argues that “justice is what law is for; justice is what lawyers should do; justice is what judges should render p. 529
”. In common people’s point of view, justice is the final goal of the hearing process. It is to say
the goal is to prove that someone is right based on the evidence and therefore punishing the wrong one according to the law. Dot decides to bring the case to a
lawyer from a similar point of view. She takes the risk of her private life being exposed in order to gain the truth.
Knowing that he is the last hope of Dot, Rudy does a great work on Black’s
case. He gets an essential evidence to convict Great Benefit. He consults professionals to determine the next steps to take in the courtroom. He learns more
about the cases handled by Drummond, the lawyer of Great Benefit, to prepare the counterattack pp. 367-389. Turning out that Dot is not the first person to convict
Great Benefit, Rudy is also supported by people who are scammed by Great Benefit. The unexpected helps serve the expected results. Rudy is able to expose each and
every blunder of Great Benefit in handling the claim of Dot pp. 467-512. Added by his capability to get the twelve jurors on the table, Dot is awarded fifty million
dollars as the punitive damages p. 554. This amount of money is the biggest punitive award ever granted by jurors in Tennessee p. 560.
They win the case gracefully. The initial goal of Dot bringing up the case has been fulfilled. She has proven to the world that she has been right to ask for
treatment for his son. Dot proves that the guys and systems at Great Benefit are definitely to blame for denying every claim she requests. In Cleveland where Great
38 Benefit is actually situated, the investigation to the company has also started
because of the winning. Lots of indictment has already processed and it is about time for Great Benefit to withstand its scams.
Withal, Dot is not feeling thrilled. She knows exactly that she is right and glad that she is proven to be innocent, yet Donny Ray has died. Instead, she regrets
not contacting any lawyer after the first letter. She regrets waiting for the eighth letter before meeting Rudy. She hates herself to be such a weak mother incapable
of treating his own son well. Shes collapsing now, the sobbing is getting louder. Right now Im holding
Dots hand as shes unloading a torrent. Deck sits beside us, saying nothing. I say nothing. My eyes are moist, my heart is aching. She cares nothing for
the money. She just wants her boy back p. 556.
She has endured this guilty feeling during the sessions to present herself as composed as she could. She has been reminded by Rudy that tears should be
avoided in the courtroom. Winning the case which once expected to seek
for justice by proving Balcks’ innocence suddenly is ironic. Despite accomplishing her goal, Dot feels lost. She
wins the battle over Great Benefit, but she has lost a son she treasures even if she wins the case. The loss of her son is eternal, while the joyful feeling of punishing
the wrong ones is just temporary. Just like how the line shows, she is not happy with how much money she is awarded. For Dot, a simple woman living in
downtown, she does not need the money because the money is supposed to treat Donny Ray so that he should not have died. Concludingly, turning the event of
winning the case from it becoming justice to becoming eternal loss creates the situational irony.
39
d Worth vs Waste on Rudy Winning the Black s’ Case
Another state is the Black s’ case is the first case that Rudy gets since days
of law school. Even though he does not favour them in their first meeting in Cypress Garden, he realises that they are his client anyway. Since then, he takes care of
them, both Dot and Donny Ray. He is used to call Donny Ray each afternoon. He loves to keep an interesting story happening during the day just to tell it to Donny
Ray later p. 297. He enjoys to bring Donny Ray to a baseball field for a short walk pp. 297-300. He has been so attached to Blacks.
The close bond is not built that easily because Rudy knows the overall story of the case. He gets to know more about their background, personality and life. He
comes to conclude that they really need help from someone capable in handling the case for free, seeing that the Blacks do not own that much money to hire a
professional lawyer. Rudy sees the claim dismissal since the beginning and he gains more information during the investigation.
Working for a year on the case and spending most of the time during six months on the case only, in addition to the close bond he has with Blacks, Rudy has
hated the company and people working there. He hates them for dismissing the claim, indirectly leads to the death of Donny Ray
– an innocent man whose life is scammed by insurance company because of their humble background. By winning
the case and proving that Great Benefit is to be blamed, the hatred Rudy carries during the process is finally purged out from him.
Beside Rudy who has spent time and effort to work on the case, Drummond who works as the lawyer of Great Benefit also has done his best. If Rudy’s client –
40 the Blacks, is totally honest to him, Drummond cannot afford similar bond with his
client. During the trial, Drummond has been stabbed by his client for hiding all essential evidence that can put them into danger. Drummond also has made effort
none less than Rudy. Indeed, the result of the trial is essential. Rudy wins the case and also is granted the fifty million dollars punitive damage money pp. 553-554.
However, because of the so many investigations and exposition directed toward Great Benefit, the company then announces its bankruptcy pp. 585-586.
With Great Benefit failing, neither Rudy nor Drummond will be paid for their time and effort spent during the hearings. Dot, though she does not want the
money either, will also not get any dime. Donny Ray can leave his parents nothing, except his saddening death. People that are once scammed by Great Benefit and
helps Rudy at the trial, will also be screwed once again. Technically, those that are bankrupt cannot be convicted because by having no money, they cannot be
punished. Even though everyone is screwed after the war, Rudy feels more defeated. He has no other case that can go near the courtroom aside from Black case
that his firm can withstand any longer. Misery loves company, but for some reason I feel as if Ive lost more than
most of these other folks. The fact that others will suffer is of small comfort. Ive spent most of the past six months working on this case, and now that
time has been wasted. The firm has averaged about a thousand bucks a month in net profits since we started, but we were driven by the dream of
paydirt on the Black case p. 587.
By winning the case, the story fulfils readers’ expectation. However, it carries situational irony as it concerns with two different things. These two different
things bring the event to fall out from readers’ expectation. Winning the case is worthy recovering the reputation of Donny Ray and to put Great Benefit to blame.
41 The winning is also worthy because finally, Rudy can unload all the hatred feeling
he has gotten toward people at Great Benefit during the trial p. 558. He is glad to present his client innocent and that the death of Donny Ray is nothing but a terrible
mistake. Rudy is also able to gain fame and fortune, if only Great Benefit does not go broke off.
On the contrary, winning the case becomes a waste because Donny Ray who he has been fighting for has died. In addition, Rudy cannot gain even a dime from
the case he has worked for so long and earnestly because the convicted has gone bankrupt. All the verbal and professional war ignited between him and Drummond
also has done nothing good for both of them. On top of that, the law firm of Rudy ends in a settlement between Rudy and Deck, his working partner, leaving Rudy
with nothing of his firm remains pp. 593-596. The situational irony is created by putting the event of winning the case from the expectation of something worthy for
the characters into something wasteful for the characters.
e Nightmare vs Happy Ending on the Murder of Cliff Riker
In the story, Rudy is narrated to fall in love with Kelly Riker. He meets Kelly at the first time during his shifts in hospital when he works for Bruiser. Kelly is
hospitalized because she is beaten by his husband, a usual case of domestic violence. Kelly is characterized as a young lady, bright and delicate. She is married
to Cliff because of an accident. They are a typical school couple when they are both students pp. 199-208. However, the domestic abuse does not occur only once. It
has occurred so many times that police officers and the prosecutors are accustomed PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
42 to handling them. Kelly will ask for divorce after the abuse, but soon the charges
will be dropped again pp. 209-211. The relationship between them is depicted as pushing and pulling. Kelly still
wants to maintain her marriage despite of the domestic beatings. Though she seems to be feeling something toward Rudy, she wants to deny it as much as possible. On
the other hand, Rudy cannot bear letting go Kelly. Rudy despises Cliff , Kelly’s
husband, enough for him to kill Cliff. For many times, he silently watches over them, hoping that Cliff does not hurt Kelly anymore. He can bear not meeting with
Kelly, but thinking of her getting hurt wounds Rudy more than Kelly feels. On some chances speaking about Cliff with her, Rudy always assures Kelly that he will kill
Cliff if any beatings ever occur again pp. 219, 538, 549, 559, 561, 570. Though Rudy has been saying similar things repeatedly, he does not really
mean it because he is fully aware of who Cliff is. Cliff comes from a family with similar temper; Rikers, the family of Cliff, are all rather ignorant and dangerous p.
592. Cliff loves to drink and go home intoxicated p. 209. Cliff is crazy, mean and wild when he is drunk p. 540. He loves to threaten to kill Kelly every time she
files a divorce pp. 220-221. He has also threatened to kill Rudy many times through phone conversation since Rudy files the divorce for Kelly p. 552, 562. It
is difficult for Rudy and Kelly to have a happy ending when Cliff is still around. As the resolution, Rudy has to face Cliff at one night when Kelly returns
home taking out some clothings to move out from the house. Sudden coming of Cliff is unexpected because he is supposed to be in an important baseball game.
Drunk and infuriated to see his wife returning home with another man is enough for PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
43 him to be mad at. Armed with a bat, he forcefully swings it toward Rudy. Rudy is
barely able to dodge it, but gets his hand on the bat. Uncontrollably, he swings it hard to Cliff’s head. Shortly, Cliff is dead by Rudy pp. 567-570. It is a nightmare,
of course. Murdering someone, even unconsciously is a big problem. Fortunately, Kelly is able to think straight and clear even at the worst
scenario. She hurriedly asks Rudy to get out of the apartment, erasing any evidence of Rudy ever being there. She turns the murder scene into a self-defense one p.
570. Rudy, quickly, handles the case. Getting Kelly out of the jail is the priority of him. Imaging Kelly to be in jail is another nightmare, too bad to handle any longer.
He finally gets the innocent verdict for Kelly with the help of the judge and prosecutors using self-defense as a way out pp. 581-582, 584-585, 591-592. Out
of jail, Kelly is free, not only from verdict, but also from Cliff. Ironically, the murder of Cliff
is a clear resolution for Rudy’s and Kelly’s love story. It is unexpecte
d to use Cliff’s death to create a happy ending for Rudy and Kelly. Because the death is caused by the murder out of hatred, using it to create
a conclusion of a love story brings out two different values. It is a rather terrible ending for Cliff, but is a fortunate ending for the other side. Nonetheless, it becomes
a happy ending for their complicated love story. Kelly does not even need to worry about Cliff or his family anymore because it has been taken care of. It also resolves
Rudy’s worry about Kelly’s safety. In the end of the story, both of them are able to see each other deliberately. Concludingly, by setting the murder from a nightmare
into a happy ending makes the event to be characterised as situational irony.
f Responsibility vs Avenge on Rudy Quitting Lawyer
44 In the end of the story, there are many things to resolve. As the conflicts are
not simply concerning about Rudy and Kelly, the resolution actually has been made step by step. The Black
s’ case part has been solved before pp. 596-597. It has been mentioned in the previous numbers of analysis related to other characters in
the story. In contrast, there has been no analysis of resolution that Rudy decides upon himself. Hence, in this part, the writer discusses particularly about personal
decision that Rudy makes in concluding the story. After dealing with Cliff’s murder case, Rudy and Kelly hurriedly decide to
go out of the town. As the charges have just been dropped in the morning before, they also have just known that Kelly could leave the country after the charges have
been dropped. Without taking any delay, they decide to take a vacation p. 597. The destination is not the main deliberation as long as they enjoy the trip. The
essence of the trip they take is to enjoy the free time they could have. It is also time for them to deliberately figure out what they will do next. For sure though, they do
not take it hastily. Before going, Rudy visits Dot for the last time. He relays the news of Great
Benefit’s fallout to her pp. 596-597. He also writes letter to both Booker and Birdie, explaining everything pp. 593, 596. Rudy takes care of the firm, files and
generated fees Deck and him have, also makes some deal with Deck pp. 593-596. Rudy decides not to come back, ever again. He has decided to quit law, not simply
just about lawyer, but even quits entering courtroom. He promises to not use his license anymore, letting it be expired. Mentioning some duty he may still have
related to law, voting or even the jury duty, he vows to never do it p. 598. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
45 I will not, under any circumstances, have anything whatsoever to do with
the law. I will allow my license to expire. I will not register to vote so they cant nail me for jury duty. I will never voluntarily set foot in another
courtroom. I vow never to return p. 598. On the surface, it seems that Rudy just wants to retire from law. The decision
sounds reasonable seeing how he has enough having his duty to defend Blacks during his first year as a lawyer. Having a bad-faith case as his first and being
awarded the biggest punitive damage is a big achievement any lawyer in their first year can ever make so
that Rudy’s decision is ingenuously absurd from a professional lawyer’s point of view. However, viewing Rudy’s decision from his
point of view who is personally disappointed in himself, quitting it becomes the only way out. Quitting a world that once he dreams about is not easy, but has to be
done as his configuration of taking the blame. Deciding it has also become a configuration of disappointment towards the
world he has once believed in. Rudy believes that through law, he could protect those weaklings. Rudy, once, has an idealism that he could contribute modest part
in changing society. It is not only about power and money, but also justice. However, a war that he wages putting all him in gives him nothing in return. Neither
justice for his client nor punishment for the convicted he gains from the war has assured Rudy to silently avenge. The event of Rudy quitting lawyer as situational
irony shifts the expectation of it becoming a form of Rudy’s responsibility into his
silent avenge. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
46