So, the effect of irony on an inhabitant of Christendom should be such as to move him or her out of the habit of constant reflection affecting the dispassionate moderns. This, sers him or her to strive to “become simple” – that is, to be come one – with the ideal of Christian living. Crucially, reaching simplicity does not abolish the use or need for reflection: to become one with the Christian form-of-life is not to return to a condition of childish innocence. On the contrary, reflection is redeemed by being subsumed into the Christian life. This, we can gather from a journal entry dated 1848 which I shall quote at length: ‘it has generally been thought that reflection is the natural enemy of Christianity and would destroy it. With God’s help …show more content…
Just like the unconscious sea-creature bites the next meal and is thus baited out of the water, so the one living in Christendom will approach – say – Either/Or as just another literary-philosophical curiosity. This way, unexpectedly, he or she will find the way out of pure reflection. It must be noticed how reflection includes the practice of irony: Kierkegaard’s works which present non-Christian forms of life as a reflective way to simplicity with Christianity have irony as their core. Again, texts like Either/Or argues ironically against their readers’ pretense, triggering the move from reflection to aporia: from aporia, one can find the way to simplicity with the Ideal. Moreover, irony appears as an element of reflection both during the process through which one is baited out of Christendom and later when reflection is fully and organically part of …show more content…
As we have seen, religious witnessing is a form of direct communication mixed with elements of indirect communication in that it points beyond itself and towards God as the true originator of its content. The category of simplicity allows us to add an element to this picture. The religious witness points to God and to its ideal as outside itself. At the same time, where we have genuine religious witnessing it must follow that the ideal is in some degree present and achieved because of the simplicity implied by direct communication. Therefore, the religious witness – precisely insofar as he or she is such a one - can claim to have some degree of communion and achievement with respect to the ideal. Subsequently a Christian is able to communicate the Gospel in simplicity to the extent in which he or she embodies the Gospel: he or she is communicating him- or herself, insofar as the doctrine is the same as him- or herself. This condition, I believe, is testified by the fact that when Kierkegaard resorts to write a thorough presentation of Christian living – I am thinking of his text Practice in Christianity - he does not dare to take responsibility himself for this work. Rather, he “entrusts” this discussion of what is the essence of “being-Christian” as well as act of accusation against Christendom to a pseudonym, Anti-Climacus, who is said to be a perfect Christian.31 As much as
Irony make things appear to be what it is not. Flannery O’Connor and Zora Neale Hurston are two ironic authors in literature. O’Connor was a devout Roman Catholic, with a southern upbringing (Whitt); whereas “Hurston is a disciple of the greatest dead white European male, authors, a connoisseur of macho braggadocio, and a shamelessly conservative Republican who scorned victimism and leftist conformism (Sailer). Both O’Connor and Hurston use irony in their short stories; however, they use it in significantly similar ways.
Alexandre Dumas pronounces in, The Count of Monte Cristo,”I think you realize that you have confidence in me, so listen to my advice.” This quote is Villefort talking to Dantes after he throws the letter into the flames. This is an example of Irony because, Villefort is saying that you have confidence in me but, really Villefort is just going to send Dantes to jail because he wants to save himself before Dantes could figure out Nortier was Villefort’s Father. Once again it’s Villefort’s ego that is causing others to suffer. An additional example of Irony takes place in Ozymandias once again describing pride to sometimes be a demonizing thing to others and thyself. Shelly states,”Look on my works, ye mighty and despair.” In other words he is taking pride in his work and not distributing the quality everyone was eery to see. We have realized a frequent topic in Ozymandias, he talks a whole lot about what he is doing or going to be doing for his community and realizes it isn’t there
What is the most effective literary device used in the writing of short stories? As taken from dictionary.com; irony is a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated. In “An Ounce of Cure” by Alice Munro, irony is used to demonstrate the unfortunate outcomes that can come about as a result of underage alcohol abuse. The story has irony because the narrator’s parents rarely drink alcohol and are strongly against the thought of alcohol. Alistair MacLeod uses irony in his short story “The Boat” to unfortunate events can happen even though the characters do not make it clear that they are soon to happen. In this short story the narrator’s father suffers a tragic death that is not expected by the reader. In the short story “The Doctor” by Andre Dubus, irony is used to create false hope and sadness in the presence of an unfortunate event. In this story it is ironic that an obstetrician who usually brings life into the world cannot save a young boy’s life. In the three central texts mentioned previously it is evident to the reader that irony is used to surprise the reader and provide an unexpected outcome in the presence of an unfortunate event. It is often expected that authors will use irony to demonstrate different visions in their writing.
use of irony helps to develop the relationship that he had with his people and how his wrong
Contemplating on characteristics of Post Modernism Irony is the most compelling alternative. In Tobias Wolff’s “Bullet in the Brain”, the rich amount of sarcasm and irony invites readers on a journey that’s exceptionally written. The dialect that is used in this short story does not have any moderation to what is being portrayed as a real life event. Just reading the title alone “Bullet in the Brain”, causes one to imagine a horrific event with the conclusion of someone being gunned down unfairly. To already know the ending of a story just by reading the title, one has to be very crafty in their presentation. As a result, the main characters actions have led to a consequence which sets up the theme of the story to be classified as: a tragic irony. Tobias Wolff’s “Bullet in the Brain” exemplifies irony and applies sarcasm in a literary form.
This existed for a short period of time when the animals had all the power.
In the end, the sense of irony is left. The speaker had spoken of his loathing of desire, and then he decided to look “within [himself] to seek]” his virtues (13 Sidney). With this new understanding, the speaker’s only desire is to “kill desire.” This paradox became the solution to the speaker’s problem of his unwanted desires and with that, ending the pain of his imprisoned and tortured mind (14 Sidney). The speaker now only wants to leave his desire, since he has sacrificed his sanity, a price that was far too high for desires.
In addition, in Kierkegaard’s “Practice in Christianity,” we are given the distinction between an imitator (a true Christian)
Some literary works exhibit structural irony, in that they show sustained irony. In such works the author, instead of using an occasional verbal irony, introduces a structural feature which serves to sustain a duplicity of meaning. One common device of this sort is the invention of a naïve hero, or else a naïve narrator or spokesman, whose invincible simplicity or obtuseness leads him to persist in putting an interpretation on affairs which the knowing reader—who penetrates to, and shares, the implicit point of view of the authorial presence behind the naïve persona—just as persistently is called on to alter and correct. (Abrams, 90)
the play, it seemed that Othello was the only one who didn't know the truth.
In the book Hamlet by Shakespeare, irony is used numerous times in order to give the reader insight on what is going on. As stated in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, irony is an action that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play. If this strategy were not included in this drama, it would take away the whole purpose. This play would consist of no suspense and would be extremely boring to the reader because the characters would know as much as the readers know. This allows for incite to what can happen in the future or what has happened in the past. The irony in this play ultimately revolves around Hamlet and his plan to achieve revenge with Claudius. From the play that Hamlet organizes about the death of his father to the ending where Fortinbras happened to be at the right place at the right time to take over the throne in Denmark; this paper examines the cases in where irony is used to show how Hamlet is preventing his murderer uncle from getting away with his fathers death.
Oedipus is self-confident, intelligent and strong willed. Ironically these are the very traits which bring about his demise. Sophocles makes liberal use of irony throughout “Oedipus the King”. He creates various situations in which dramatic and verbal irony play key roles in the downfall of Oedipus. Dramatic irony depends on the audience’s knowing something that the character does not and verbal irony is presented when there is a contradiction between what a character says and what they mean. Both of these elements are used effectively to develop the tale of Oedipus.
The late 19th century was a time of great change. With rapid modernisation came increased imperial encounters and the rise of colonialism. Countries became preoccupied with ideas of self and national identity, and this desire for individuality created, at the same time, interest in the concept of the exotic “other.” Exoticism was hugely popular in French art music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. What was foreign was often considered primitive or dangerous, but also extremely alluring and fascinating.
In general, the discrepancy between appearances and reality is ironic. Irony is encountered throughout our daily activities and comes in many forms; verbal, situational. and the cosmic. Verbal irony is the most familiar kind, this occurs when we understand that.
ABSTRACT: In contemporary literary culture there is a widespread belief that ironies and paradoxes are closely akin. This is due to the importance that is given to the use of language in contemporary estimations of literature. Ironies and paradoxes seem to embody the sorts of a linguistic rebellion, innovation, deviation, and play, that have throughout this century become the dominant criteria of literary value. The association of irony with paradox, and of both with literature, is often ascribed to the New Criticism, and more specifically to Cleanth Brooks. Brooks, however, used the two terms in a manner that was unconventional, even eccentric, and that differed significantly from their use in figurative theory. I therefore examine irony and paradox as verbal figures, noting their characteristic features and criteria, and, in particular, how they differ from one another (for instance, a paradox means exactly what it says whereas an irony does not). I argue that irony and paradox — as understood by Brooks — have important affinities with irony and paradox as figures, but that they must be regarded as quite distinct, both in figurative theory and in Brooks’ extended sense.