Much of the tension and impact of “The Wife of His Youth” is derived from Chesnutt’s use of verbal, dramatic, and situational irony.

Verbal irony exists where a statement means its opposite. A prime example occurs when the narrator reports that skin color was not a membership criterion of the Blue Vein Society. Members declare that only “character and culture” are considered (Part 1, Line 13), despite the fact that they are all lighter-skinned. And Mr. Ryder claims he is not racially prejudiced but believes people should stick together based on race and color. The reader understands that these statements are on their face evidence of racial thinking that is typical of racism, internalized or otherwise.

Dramatic irony describes a situation in which the reader knows a crucial piece of information that the characters in the work do not. At the end of Part 2, when Mr. Ryder looks back and forth between the face in the daguerreotype and his own reflection in the mirror, it is clear to the reader that Mr. Ryder is Sam. Because none of the guests at dinner party know this fact while the reader does, the final scene is much more suspenseful: Will Ryder acknowledge his wife, and will the guests shun or accept Liza Jane?