Question

How is irony expressed in the story “One Thousand Dollars”?

Gillian is secretly in love with Miss Hayden, but she does not return his love.
Gillian, who was his uncle’s only heir, inherits just a small fraction of the man’s estate.
Gillian, who is quite well off, is confused about how to spend $1,000; he would rather have $10,000—or $50.
Miss Hayden, a ward of Gillian’s rich uncle, receives a far larger portion of the man’s inheritance than does Gillian.

Answer 1

I believe the best answer is "Gillian is confused about how to spend one thousand dollars." If he is a generally rich man, he should probably know how to spend a single grand. Irony is deliberately subverting an audience's expectations; this subverts our expectations for rich people. In other words, what we expect to be the case is not the case. I hope this helps.