Ирония как стилистический прием в английском художественном дискурсе

Introduction

The relevance of the study is due to the lack of uniformity in the approaches of linguists to understanding the essence of irony. The study of individual author's methods of expressing irony based on the material of artistic works of specific authors is especially relevant at the present time. Such irony is always unexpected and, as a rule, is based on the most complex associations.
The object of this study is irony as a stylistic device. The subject of the study is irony as a stylistic device in English artistic discourse.
The purpose of the study is to identify the features of irony as a stylistic device in English artistic discourse. Research tasks to be solved in accordance with the purpose:
1) to reveal the theoretical aspects of irony, to reveal its concept, to analyze the various approaches of linguists, literary critics and psychologists to its definition;
2) to characterize the place of irony in the classification of the comic, its relationship with other types of comic;
3) consider the techniques of expressing irony in English artistic discourse;
4) to analyze the features of stylistic means of expressing irony in the works of English literature.
The practical significance of the work is due to the presentation in it of the analysis of irony as a stylistic device in English artistic discourse.
The methodological basis of the work consists of scientific works devoted to the study of irony: G. Weinreich, G. Leffler, N. Groeben, W. Gissman, W. Oomen, D.J. Amante, H. Haverkeit, I. Rosengren, G.P. Grice, J. Leach, R. Gibbs and other researchers.
The following research methods were used in the work: theoretical analysis; a solid selection of stylistic means of expressing irony in works of English fiction; contextual analysis; classification.
The structure of the course work includes an introduction, two chapters, one of which is theoretical, the other is practical, a conclusion, a list of references. In the first chapter the theoretical aspects of the analyzed problem are considered, in the second chapter the results of the conducted research are systematized and analyzed. This chapter analyzes stylistic techniques for expressing irony in English artistic discourse.

1 Theoretical aspects of the study of irony
1.1 The place of irony in the classification of types of comic

Irony is a type of comic. Let's analyze the place of irony in the classification of comic types. Aristotle was one of the first to define the comic. In accordance with the views of Aristotle, the comedy shows the worst people who got into a conflict, but not a dangerous situation. The comic, according to Aristotle, is ugly, but this ugliness does not cause suffering to anyone [4, p.365].
These views laid the foundation for the formation of the category of the comic in aesthetics. In the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance , the theme of the comic was reflected in the works of F. Rabelais, W. Shakespeare, J. Boccaccio, M. Cervantes. The approaches of the listed writers to the image of the ridiculous differ significantly among themselves. For example, Boccaccio's short stories «Decameron» are characterized by the description of frank, sometimes obscene scenes. Rabelais in his works focuses the reader's attention on physiological details, singing the triumph of the liberated flesh. Shakespeare's comedies show an elegant and intricate approach to creating comic situations. Miguel de Cervantes' novel about Don Quixote is permeated with subtle irony.
An important stage in the formation of the comic as an aesthetic category was the period of development of German classical philosophy. I. Kant believed that laughter is an affect from the sudden transformation of tense expectation into nothing [4, 370]. Hegel saw in the comic the opposition to false ideals [4, p.369].
According to Schopenhauer, laughter arises from an unexpected consciousness of a discrepancy between a known concept and real objects. Schopenhauer carries out in his work the idea of the social utility and necessity of the ridiculous [13, p.540]. Thus, the essence of the comic category gradually begins to be reduced to the function of correcting and improving society.
V. Propp and M. Bakhtin made a significant contribution to the development of the theory of the comic. Propp expands the concept of the comic: from the comic individual to the perception of the comic in social life. The objects of the comic, along with stupidity, ignorance, naivety and lies, are similarities between people, differences in social conventional ways, some professions [8, p.51]. M.M. Bakhtin carries out the study of the comic in the framework of a culturological approach. His book «The Work of Francois Rabelais and the folk culture of the Middle Ages and Renaissance» presents an analysis of carnival, festive laughter. Bakhtin considers laughter as «a universal, world-contemplative principle, healing and regenerating, connected with the issues of the dispensation of life and death» [1, p.85]. Thus, the theory of carnival laughter has become an important contribution to understanding the nature of the comic.
The comic is realized in various forms and forms. N.D. Khudavedrova presents in her work the following classification of the comic. The main types of comic are two main types of comedic attitude to reality, humor and satire, which are differentiated by the type of emotional attitude to an object or fragment of reality: from mild, non-malicious criticism, condescension in humor to uncompromising debunking, denunciation and ridicule in satire. Irony occupies an intermediate position between humor and satire and is a transitional form. In addition, there are such types of comic as sarcasm, invective (an extreme case of satire) [11, p.95]. Polish researcher B. Dzemidok offers a distinction between satire of a «grotesque nature» and satire of a «realistic plan» [3, p.108].
There are discrepancies in literary theory about the essence of satire. Thus, G.N. Pospelov believes that satire is an ironic generalization of the life of society, showing the contradiction between the high position of people and their inner insignificance [7, 81]. Yu. Borev believes that it is wrong to see the object of satire only where there are high public authorities [2, p.83].
The essence of irony as a kind of comic lies in a critical attitude towards inner emptiness, insignificance, hiding behind an appearance that has claims to content and real meaning. As a rule, irony is determined through the discrepancy between the form and content of the utterance: a sharp mockery is hidden behind a positive assessment of the object of irony [11, p.108]. As already noted, irony is a transitional form from humor to satire. It can be closer to both kinds of comic.
In the scientific works of S.I. Pokhodni, a detailed study of irony at the textual level was carried out. The researcher classifies irony into two main types: situational and associative irony. Situational irony is characterized by a clear character and a bright emotional coloring. It is realized immediately. The contrast between the situational context and the direct meaning of the word immediately generates a meaning opposite to the direct one. Associative irony is a hidden type of irony. This is irony, much more subtle than situational. In this case, there is a gradual implementation of portable values, new values arise gradually. In this regard, the implementation of associative irony requires more structurally complex contexts than situational irony. The role of associative irony in creating an integral system of the work is much greater than the role of situational irony [9, p.97].
O.G. Petrova in her research divides irony into the following two types: stylistic irony (trope) and conceptual irony. Conceptual irony is a philosophical position, it is connected with the worldview and aesthetics of a particular author [6, p.25].
I.B. Shatunovsky identifies another type of irony - the author's meta-irony. In the case of the realization of this type of irony, the hero of the work of art does not speak ironically, seriously. From his point of view, the statement is true and normal, but the statement and the context are constructed by the author in such a way that the anomaly of this statement is clear [12, p.36].
Thus, in the structure of the types of comic irony occupies an intermediate position between humor and satire. Researchers propose various classifications of irony, which allow us to distinguish its types such as: situational, associative, stylistic, conceptual irony, author's meta-irony.

1.2 The variety of approaches of linguists to the definition of the essence of irony

The problems of irony were actively studied by linguists of the XX-XXI centuries. Their approaches to defining the essence of this concept are very diverse.