What term describes a contrast between expectation and reality?

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Irony describes the contrast between what is expected and what actually happens. In literature, this often shows up as an outcome that defies (or punishes) the narrator’s or characters’ expectations, creating meaning, humor, or tension. There are different forms—situational irony (the expected outcome is reversed), dramatic irony (the audience knows something the characters do not), and verbal irony (saying the opposite of what one means). Mood, juxtaposition, and motif describe other devices: mood is the emotional atmosphere, juxtaposition is placing elements side by side for contrast, and motif is a recurring element. Irony centers on the gap between expectation and reality, making it the best fit for this description.