Question

In ñMending Wallî the neighbors meet in the spring to repair the wall. One speaker does not see the necessity of the wall, yet he's the one who repairs the wall throughout the year in order to maintain it. What is this figurative element called when a character seems to do the opposite of what is expected?

Answer 1

"irony"- the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.