A Study on Irony under the Framework of Relevance Theory：
a Case Analysis of Pride and Prejudice
Abstract: The thesis would take the dynamic research on irony, irony from the literature works in particular, within the framework of Relevance Theory and prove the rationality and feasibility of understanding irony especially understanding the non-researcher fabricated language materials.
The Relevance Theory holds that verbal communication is a process of mutual manifestness; the hearer intends to interpret the speech through inference and contextual assumptions. According to Sperber and Wilson, the Echoic-interpretation Theory of irony defines irony as a multiple echoic interpretive use, in which the speaker and the hearer dissociate them from the opinion echoed and the opinion always accompanies with ridicule or scorn. Irony is a significant feature in Pride and Prejudice and the using of irony not only creates characters’ personalities, reveals the theme but also makes the story much more humorous and witty. In order to prove Sperber and Wilson’s account of irony is a much more reasonable cognitive-pragmatic foundation, this thesis would take some typical examples from Pride and Prejudice, and analyze irony in these examples from macro and micro view. What’s more, the analysis can also to prove that interpreting irony under the framework of Echoic-interpretation Theory in almost all cases is reliable and plausible.
Key words: Relevance Theory; Echoic-interpretation Theory; irony; Pride and Prejudice
Abstract. iv
摘要 v
Outline vi
提纲 vii
1. Introduction 1
2. Literature review 2
3. Theoretical basis of the research 4
3.1 Main points of Relevance Theory 4
3.1.1 Notion of relevance 4
3.1.2 Principle of relevance 5
3.1.3 Cognitive environment 6
3.1.4 The ostensive-inferential process 6
3.2 Verbal irony 7
3.2.1 Echoic-interpretation Theory of irony 7
3.2.2 Types of the source echoed 8
3.3 Summary 9
4. Analysis of irony in Pride and Prejudice 9
4.1 Brief introduction of Pride and Prejudice 9
4.2 Macro-analysis of irony in Pride and Prejudice 10
4.2.1 Analyzing irony for highlighting the theme 10
4.2.2 Analyzing irony for manifesting the features of characters’ personalities 13
4.3 Micro-analysis of verbal irony in Pride and Prejudice 14
4.3.1 Direct and immediate echoes 15
4.3.2 Echoes of real and imaginary attributed thoughts 16
4.3.3 Echoes of norms and standard expectation 17
5. Conclusion 18
Work Cited 19
