英语论文论《警察与赞美诗》中反讽的运用doc.docx

英语论文论《警察与赞美诗》中反讽的运用doc.docx

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英语论文论《警察与赞美诗》中反讽的运用doc

论《警察与赞美诗》中反讽的运用

TheuseofironyinTheCopandtheAnthem

Contents

摘要…………………………………………………………...Ⅰ

Abstract………………………………………………………Ⅱ

Introduction…………………………………………………...1

1.Briefintroductionoftheauthorandthenovel…………...2

1.1briefintroductionoftheauthor…………………………………...2

1.2theauthor’swritingstyle………………………………………….2

2.Thestatementofirony……………………………………...4

3.TheuseofironyinTheCopandtheAnthem……………...7

3.1Soapy’swayofwinteringandhisthoughts………………………7

3.2Soapy’ssixbackfiredactions…………………………………….9

3.3cops’dutyandpeople’sviewofcops…………………………...11

3.4Soapy’sviewofcops’irresponsibility…………………………...13

3.5Soapyhasbeeninfluencedbyanthemanddecidetoturnoveranewleaf,butisarrested………………………………………......14

Conclusion…………………………………………………...17

Notes…………………………………………………………..18

Bibliography…………………………………………………19

Acknowledgements

摘要

情景反讽作为一种主要的描写手法在欧·亨利《警察与赞美诗》中的运用成功地推动了小说情节的发展，增加了小说的戏剧性悬念，使小说的人物形象更加丰满。

本文将剖析小说中的情景反讽的实例，以指出小说中情景反讽的反复运用表达了欧·亨利对当时美国资本主义社会中不合理的现象的抨击，还表达了作者对下层劳动人民的同情。

作者将情景反讽贯穿于故事的开头、发展和结尾，揭露了资本主义社会的矛盾虚伪和黑白颠倒的本质。

关键词：

情景反讽；警察与赞美诗；美国资本主义社会

Abstract

TheadroitmanipulationofsituationalironybyO.HenryinhismasterpieceTheCopandtheAnthemcontributesfirsteffectivelytotheunfoldingoftheplot.Nextitincreasesitssuspenseoftheplots.Last,itenablesthecharactersvivid.InthispaperIwillanalyzeexamplesofsituationalironyinthatstory.TherepetitionoftheuseofsituationalironyexpressesO.Henry’sattackonirrationalphenomenaintheAmericancapitalistsocietyatthattimeandalsohissympathyforthelowerclass.Theauthorappliedthesituationalironiesinthebeginning,developmentandtheendinordertorevealthecontradictory,hypocriticalandtopsy-turvyessenceofthecapitalistsociety.

Keywords:

situationalirony，TheCopandtheAnthem，Americancapitalistsociety

Introduction

O.Henryisconsideredas“FatherofAmericanmodernshortstories”and“Manhattancriticscrownprosewriter”.Hisworkisfullofhumor,hisstoriesareamusing,flippant,flat,bitingandarefilledwithirony,sentiment,andpathos.Oneofhisfamousworks,TheCopandtheAnthemisthemosttypicalone.ThispaperwillrevealitsrhetoricbeautyandthedarknessofthesocietyinO.Henry’stimeinthewayofanalyzingtheuseofironyinTheCopandtheAnthem.

Thepaperfallsintothreeparts.Thefirstpartgivesbriefintroductionoftheauthorandhiswritingstyle.Thesecondpartisthestatementofirony,suchasitsdefinitionandclassification.Thethirdpart,whichisthecoreofthepaper,illustratestheuseofsituationalironyinTheCopandtheAnthemfromfiveperspectivesasfollow:

1.Soapy’swayofwinteringandhisthoughts;2.Soapy’ssixbackfiredaction;3.cops’dutyandpeople’sviewsofcops;4.Soapy’sviewofcops’irresponsibilitywhichdisappointsSoapy;5.Soapyhasbeeninfluencedbyanthemanddecidetoturnoveranewleaf,butisarrested.

ThisthesismainlyhelpstolearnabouttheuseofironyinO.Henry’stime.

1

Briefintroductionoftheauthorandhiswritingstyle

1.1briefintroductionoftheauthor

O.HenrywhoserealnameisWilliamSydneyPorter，ismostcommonlyassociatedwiththeshortstoryandmasterfulironic“O.Henrytwist”（surprisingending）.Hehasbeenhailedas“FatherofAmericanmodernshortstories”and“Manhattancriticscrownprosewriter”.Duringhislifetimeheworkedinvariousjobs，includingabookkeeper,adrugstoreclerk,aTexasRanger,anaccountant,adraftsman,abanktellerandanewspapercolumnist，soheknewthecommonpeople’slifestylewell.

1.2theauthor’swritingstyle

IronyisoneofwritingstylesoftraditionalAmericanliterature.WashingtonIrvingisthefirstonetoemploythiswritingstylewithslightironytomakehisstoriesfunnybutmeaningful.MarkTwainisagoodsuccessorwhounveiledthetruthinlifebydescribingexaggeratedimageshumorouslyandcolloquially.YetIrvingShaw’shumorfocusedonthedepictionofcharacters’personality.Intheinfluenceofthosewriters,O.Henryfollowedtheirstyle.Hisworkisfullofhumor,hisstoriesareamusing,flippant,flat,bitingandarefilledwithirony,sentiment,andpathosbutisquitedifferentfromtheirs,filledwithdepressed,miserableandbitterlaughter.

HismajorironicworksareTheChairofPhilanthromathematics,TheCopandTheAnthem,TheFourMillion,ConfessionsOfAHumoristandsoon,amongwhichTheCopandTheAnthemisthemostexemplary.Ironyrunsthroughoutthewholestory.

2

Thestatementofirony

Ironyisafigureofspeechinwhichtheintendedmeaningofthewordsusedisthedirectoppositeoftheirusualsense.Itisabroadtermreferringtotherecognitionofarealitydifferentfromthemaskingappearance.Forexample,“ForyearsthehospitableBlackwell’shadbeenhiswinterquarters.”Asweallknow,Blackwellisaroughprisonthatcommonpeopleareafraidofgoingto.HereO.Henrydescribestheprisonwith“hospital”whichiscompletelyoppositetowhatitreallyis.Thusthestrongsarcasticironyeffectisreached.Ifthewriteruses“rough”,therewillbenosucheffectatall.

Asironyrealizesitseffectsbymeansofexaggeration,understatementandsarcasm,itcanbesubdividedintoverbalirony,dramaironyandsituationalirony.

Firstisverbalirony.Verbalironyisafigureofspeechinwhichtheactualintentisexpressedinwordswhichcarrytheoppositemeaning.Itcontainstwolevelsofmeaning.Whatitactuallymeansisnotdecidedbyitsliteralmeaningbutthecontext,

e.g.Youareeloquentasanoyster.

Infactanoysteriswordless,sohere“eloquent”isintendedtomean“silent”.Inthisway,thespeakercansatirizesomeonewho’salwaystaciturn.

Secondisdramairony.Dramaironyhasaspecialmeaning,referringtoknowledgeheldbytheaudiencebuthiddenfromtherelevantactors.I’llshowyouanexample.

“IhopeTom’sbetteroffwhereheis”,saidSid;“butifhe’dbeeninsomeways---”

“Sid!

”Tomfelttheglaretheoldlady’seye,thoughhecouldnotseeit.“notawordagainstmyTom,nowthathe’sgone!

”

Inthescene,Tomishidingunderthebed,whichiscleartoaudienceexceptSidandTom’saunt.Becauseofthat,Tom’sauntreactssostrongly.Inordinarydays,Tomisanaughtyboyandhisauntalwayscomplainsabouthim.It’sfunnythatTom’sauntissoemotionalcomparedwiththefactthatTomisstillalive.

Thelastoneissituationalironywhichistheironicspiritappliedtoevent,andsituation.Theactualdevelopmentofonesituationisjustoppositetotheexpression.Forexample,

SeveralvacationersattheluxuriousRichelieuApartmentsthereheldahurricanepartytowatchthestormfromtheirspectacularpoint.RichelieuApartmentsweresmashedapartasifbyagiganticfist,and26peopleperished.

Intimeofdanger,peoplestillsoakedthemselvesinvisualenjoymentratherthanrunningaway.Theresultwasthat26peoplewerekilledwhichwasabsolutelyoutoftheirexpectations.

ThereareaseaofironiesinTheCopandtheAnthem,especiallysituationalironies.Detailedanalysisaboutthesituationalironiesusedinthisnovelwillbegivennext.

3

TheuseofironyinTheCopandtheAnthem

ItisthesituationalironythatisusedinTheCopandtheAnthem.Becauseitisappliedthroughoutthebeginning,thedevelopmentandtheend,anunexpectedeffecthasbeenachieved.Theanalysisandtheunderstandingofsituationalironycanhelpenablereaderstoenjoyliteraturebetter,toknowmoreaboutthetemptationfortheauthorsandtoimprovetheirtasteinliterature.Hereisthedetailedanalysisaboutthesituationalironiesinthisnovel.

3.1Soapy’swayofwinteringandhisthoughts

ThehibernatorialambitionsofSoapywerenotofthehighest.InthemtherewerenoconsiderationsofMediterraneancruisesofsoporificSouthernshiesordriftingintheVesuvianBay.ThreemonthsontheIslandwaswhathissoulcraved.Threemonthsofassuredboardandbedandcongenialcompany,safefromBoreasandblue-coats,seemedtoSoapytheessenceofthingsdesirable.[1]P65

Forallanimals,itiscertainthatstoringfoodandlookingforaplaceforwinteringbeforewinterareexcessivelynecessary,letaloneforadvancedhumanbeings.Aswinterisaroundthecorner,winteringintheprisonisobviouslynotanobleandreasonableideaforpeoplewithfourstronglimbslikeSoapy,thoughhehasnoplacetolivewithoutacashinhispocket.What’smore,everyoneknowswhataprisonisusedfor—aplaceforholdingprisoners.Aprisononlycouldprovidetheprisonerswiththemostbasicevenquitebadaccommodations,soaprisoncanneverbeaplacemenhavebeenlongingfor.Yetinthenovel,it’sabigironythattheauthorcomparedSoapy’sridiculousideatotheessenceofthingsdesirable.

Wemayknowfromthenovel,atthattimethereisnolackofAmericanaidagencies,andphilanthropistsarenotinasmallnumber.ThusitshouldbesaidthatthereisnoneedforSoapytolivesuchanawkwardlife.NeverthelesswhywouldSoapyrathergotoprisonthanacceptrelief?

ItturnsoutthatinSoapy’sopinionthelawwasmorebenignthanphilanthropy.Ifnotincornyoumustpayinhumiliationofspiritforeverybenefitreceivedatthehandsofphilanthropy.TheconflictbetweenSoapy’sstrangeideaandtherealityexposesthehypocrisyofthecapitalistswithphilanthropists’masks.OnceO.HenryseverelycriticizedthosesanctimoniouscapitalistsinTheChairofPhilanthromathematics.O.Henrysaid:

“Whenamanswindlesthepublicoutofacertainamounthebeginstogetscaredandwantstoreturnpartofit.Andifyou’llwatchcloseandnoticethewayhischarityrunsyou’llseethathetriestores