试论IronyIrony试述in试述Sense试述and试述Sensibility

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Abstract: This essay is intended to examine the technique of irony in Sense and Sensibility written by Jane Austen in 1811. It is mainly devoted to three aspects of irony employed in the novel: the verbal irony, the dramatic irony, and the situational irony. It would be beneficial to our better understanding of the novel. And irony, as a technique of writing, is frequently considered as one of Jane Austen ‘s outstanding characteristics.
Key words:sense and sensibility; the verbal irony; the dramatic irony;the situational irony
Introduction
Sense and Sensibility is Austen’s first published novel, which she initially called Elinor and Marianne. Elinor and Marianne, the two major heroines in the novel, he the opposite dispositions. The former is a sensible, self-controlled and rational creature, but the latter is a striking emotional ,unreserved and wildly romantic girl. The difference between them offers Austen plenty of scopes for both irony and comparison. Irony can be used as a technique of writing, as well as a figure of speech. “As a writing technique, there are two basic features for irony. They are the contradiction between false impression and truth and the unknowing of the contradiction.”(Zhang Liping) My thesis just focuses on the ironic perspective to explore the novel. In addition, we will look at Kreuz and Roberts’ classification. According to their explanation, irony is classified into four types: socratic irony, dramatic irony, the irony of fate or situational irony ,and verbal irony. “...2)Verbal irony is the use of language to express a surface meaning and a different, usually intended, underlying meaning. 3)Dramatic irony is the awareness by a play’s audience of the fate in store for a character that is not known to the character himself. 4)The irony of fate or situational irony refers to a situation, event etc., that is desirable in itself but so unexpected or ill-timed that it appears to be deliberately perverse.”(Yao Jun)Jane Austen tends to adopt the verbal irony, the dramatic irony and the situational irony in Sense and Sensibility to make her characters rich and interesting.
The Verbal Irony
In a narrow sense, irony is frequently considered as verbal irony, which means a narrator expresses a literal meaning to show his or h源于:www.618jyw.com
er ideas and attitudes, but exactly to indicate other underlying meanings with implied ideas and attitudes. Thus author’s real intentions are so indistinct and obscure that readers must decode them with the help of context. Verbal irony, as an intelligent and witty figure, is prevalent everywhere in the novel of Sense of Sensibility. Mr.and Mrs. John Dashwood are the main subjects to be sneered at by the language and dialogues’ description. Mr. John Dashwood doesn’t care about his mother-in-law and sisters at all although he has promised to do everything in his power to make them comfortable after his father’s death. As soon as his father died, hehas no time to grieve but to consider “…how much there might prudently be in his power to do for them.” (page4,Sense and Sensibility)The word “prudently” has two levels of meanings here. First, John Dashwood seems to be a prudent man who considers how to take care of his intimate relatives well. This is the literal meaning open to the readers. Second, the context points to the opposite meaning. In fact, here he is taking his benefit into consideration prudently that how to take care them without spending much money. A cold-hearted and selfish man is exposed to us. “Has he married a more amiable woman, he might he been made still more respectable than he was;…”(4) Here, It apparently seems as if Austen tried to find an excuse for his selfishness, but actually she indicates his wife is more selfish and narrow-minded than him. When Mrs. Dashwood hears her husband plans to give annuity to them, she immediately complains to his husband “people always live forever when there is any annuity to be paid them.” (9)Is it really true? Definitely not. No person will live forever for receiving annuity. But why does her husband believe that stupid words? Is he a stupid person without common sense? Of course, the answer is negative. He isn’t willing to spend money on his relatives. Through these ironic language and dialogues’ description, we can see clearly that Mr. and Mrs. Dashwood are this kind of self-concerned, merciless people. From the above, we find out Austen likes to carve her characters by the verbal irony. In this way, many protagonists’ characteristics appear very lively and complicated.The verbal irony offers a possibility of different interpretation. The reader can decode the underlying meanings with his or her intelligence and imagination, and thus becomes a partner of the author.The Dramatic irony
As point of Kreuz and Roberts’view ,“Dramatic irony is the awareness by a play’s audience of the fate in store for a character that is not known to the character himself. ” (Yang Jun)It means a narrator or readers know what will happen in a story, but the characters don't. And then something ridiculous or misunderstanding will follow due to the original mistake. This amusing thing also happens to Mrs. Jennings and Elinor. Edward, the man of Elinor’s taste, has been engaged with an ignorant poor girl called Lucy imprudently when he was young, so he is abandoned by his selfish family. After knowing it, Colonel Brandon hopes to offer him a job as a clergyman. One day, he visits Elinor and tells her about the decision, and then gives her the commission to tell Mr. Edward. Meanwhile, Marianne is playing the piano. Although Mrs. Jennings moves far when they are conversing privately, she is very curious about the content of their talk. At intervals of no music,some words reach into her ears of Brandon complaining about his badness of his house, so she guesses Colonel Brandon is proposing to Elinor. She always wishes it would be true in her heart. When Brandon says “I am afraid it cannot take place very soon.” Mr. Jennings thinks the marriage cannot take place very soon for his own house. But readers all know that Brandon refers that the job to Mr. Edward can’t start soon because the parsonage near his house has not been repaired. Mistakes move on again. When Elinor thanks for his kindness to Edward saying that “I shall always think myself very much obliged you.” Mrs. Jennings is sure Elinor thanks for the proposal, While readers know it’s for Brandon’s kindness to Edward . In this case, she is very surprised that Brandon doesn’t make a reply for Elinor’s gratitude before leing. Misunderstanding doesn’t stop here. When Mrs.Jennings comes to congratulate Elinor, but not mentioning the exact thing, Elinor thinks she has known the good news and thanks for her congratulation. Elinor says the thing must wait for a short time, and she must write to Mr. Edward. However, Mrs. Jennings thinks their marriage must wait for a short time until Mr. Edward takes the job as clergyman to arrange their marriage’s ceremony. She is shocked why it’s Elinor to write the wedding letter but not Brandon, So she can’t bear to say “Should not the Colonel write himself? Sure, he is the proper person?”(220) A girl writes this kind of letter at that time is too improper. Elinor doesn’t quite understand the meaning and answers “Colonel Brandon is delicate a man that he rather wished anyone to announce his intentions to Mr. Edward than himself” (220) Elinor means Brandon is too delicate to be known of his good deed. While Mrs. Jenning is more confused about Brandon’s delicacy towards his marriage. In the end, Mrs. Jenning can’t stand to say to Elinor “ Lord bless you, my dear! Sure you do not mean to persuade me that the Colonel only marries you for the sake of giving ten guineas to Mr. Ferrars!” (224)Until the word “marries” is mentioned, the misunderstanding is solved. Reade源于:大学生论文www.618jyw.com
rs enjoy themselves at the series of mistakes occurring to Elinor and Mrs. Jennings, in spite of knowing the mistakes at the first beginning. From this misunderstanding, readers find out Mrs. Jennings is very hot-hearted and full of love, but sometimes indecent and vulgar, and often does bad things out of kind heart just like the case mentioned. This case shows that the technique of dramatic irony employed in a novel can make stories more funny and gorgeous. Readers can experience the humor of Jane Austen after reading the dramatic plots in Sense and Sensibility. The Situational Irony
The situational irony is also very important in promoting a story. Here let us consider the definition of Kreuz and Roberts again. “The irony of fate or situational irony refers to a situation,event etc.,that is desirable in itself but so unexpected or ill-timed that it appears to be deliberately perverse.” (Yang Jun)It indicates that characters or readers expect something to take place with their own wishes, but the results are often in the opposite way. Jane Austen also uses this skill in Sense and Sensibility. The heroine Marianne first is too romantic and emotional to fall in love with any ordinary man. When Mrs. Jennings makes a joke that Colonel feels a strong attachment to her, she turns to be angry. She says to her mother “…. But he is old enough to be my father; and if he were ever animated enough to be in love, must he long outlived every sensation of the kind. It is too ridiculous.”, “…But thirty-five has nothing to do with matrimony.” (28-29)In her view, Brandon is definitely not herMr. Right because he is too old and impossible to fall in love twice in his life. When Willoughby appeared, she is attracted by his appearance, tempter and taste immediately. He is the right lover whom she really wants. She is very sure that they will get married soon. Readers also expect they will he a good ending. But Austen doesn’t mean to satiy her character and readers’ expectation, arranging the result of their separation. After being abandoned by her ideal lover Willoughby, she wakes up from the romantic dream and has a better understanding of love. At last she gets married with Brandon happily who she frist thinks is impossible to love again. The fate of Marianne changes completely beyond the characters’ imagination, also making readers surprised. Austen creates lots of dramatic situations or events like this in the novel. The twists and turns of characters’ fates are always drawing the readers’ attention.
Conclusion
No matter what kind of technique of irony Jane Austenuses in Sense and Sensibility, her purpose is to carve various characters exquisitely for her readers. Therefore, the technique of irony plays a very important role in making Sense and Sensibility so popular and succesul. Not only does Austen sneer at people with sense and prudence but without emotion like Mr. and Mrs. John Dashwood, but also ridicules at the other kinds of people with too much emotion and sensibility but lack of sense like Marianne and her mother Mrs. Dashwood. By comparison, she attempts to compliment on Elinor’prudence and self-command. It is Elinor whom Austen herself most obviously admires. She tries to persuade readers that a truly happy marriage only exists in the place where sense and sensibility reach a better balance.
References:
Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility,上海:上海世界图书出版公司,200

7.1(文章中的原著引用均出自此书)

简·奥斯丁著 孙致礼译,理智与情感,译林出版社,2003.4
[3] Yao Jun(姚俊), Froms and Functions of Verbal Irony in Mandarin Chinese and American English: A pragmatic Case Study Basedon Data Form TV Debates[D], Shanghai International Studies University, 2005
[4]Zhang Liping(张利平), A Brief Introduction of Irony as A Writing Technique[A], Journal of Inner Mongolia Normal University
(Philosophy and Social Science), Dec, 2001:Vol.30 ,No.6 ,
[5]杨均,试论小说中反讽的四种类型,学术交流,第6期,1994
[6]杨正和,简·奥斯丁小说的反讽艺术辨析,上饶师专学报,第17卷(摘自:毕业论文的格式www.618jyw.com
第5期):79-82,1997
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