Irony as a literary device has been used in order to achieve a sense of reality in works of fiction. This can be seen as a sort of contrast between the superficial meaning of something that is said or done and the real, underlying meaning of the statement or action. People often use it in everyday conversations or as a technique to overcome a stronger character. In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, irony is one of the main literary devices used to achieve the effect of that time in history on the reader, making it one of the most well-known works of 19th century English literature. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Whether you expected it or not, the book itself begins immediately with an ironic statement, at the very beginning of the first chapter: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that an unmarried man in possession of a good fortune must need a wife. a literal level. This case of verbal irony used by the author aims to allude to the type of society that was present at the time, making it a criticism of it, showing its dissatisfaction and disagreement. To begin with, not all “single men of good fortune” are looking for a woman to marry. In fact, at that time, it was women who were looking for a husband with a significant fortune to marry, in order to secure their own future. Needless to say, at that time, women did not have many rights or means to survive, with marriage being the only safe solution. While on the subject of absurd statements, like the one mentioned above, the following dialogue depicts a situation that is even more "sensible" behavior to which many readers, including myself, have not paid much attention and did not see it as an example of irony: "'Don't keep coughing like that, Kitty, for heaven's sake!' Have some compassion for my nerves. You tear them to pieces.’ “Now, Kitty, you can cough all you want.” Once pointed out as an example of irony, it is clearly seen that the content of this conversation has no real meaning. The first part of this excerpt is Mrs. Bennet scolding Kitty for her cough, saying that she can't stand coughing because of her fragile nerves. However, the witty Mr. Bennet, after a few moments, allows Kitty to cough. The irony here is perhaps too obvious, which is why I may have missed it when first reading the book. As we all know, coughing is not a voluntary bodily action, so there is no need to ask permission to do it. he. This is yet another example of verbal irony, which is an ironic response to Mrs. Bennet's unnecessary attacks on Kitty for coughing. Another type of irony which is considered one of the best ways to use this literary tip, is character irony, that is, this particular character, with his behavior, his ways of thinking and his mannerisms, is a representation of irony, a kind of “walking irony”. Mr. Collins' character is one of these, and his following statement describes him perfectly: "You must certainly forgive them as a Christian, but never admit them to your sight, nor allow their names to be mentioned in your audience.'Mrs. Collins is a clergyman at the estate of his patron Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and the statement mentioned above is advice he gives to Mr. Bennet in response to the discovery of Lydia's flight from home. As a member of the clergy of the Church, his position is believedbeing that of a leader within the religion, offering advice, support and teaching the doctrines of that religion. However, this does not appear to be the case when it comes to Mr. Collins. . The notion of forgiveness, which should be based on its religious origin, is completely false. It goes completely against what religion is supposed to represent and, most importantly, it subconsciously contradicts itself, making it a great example of character irony in this novel. On the theme of forced marriages, the union of Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas and how it came about is another example of irony in Austen's Pride and Prejudice: "My dear Charlotte and I have not only one mind and one way of thinking. There is in everything between us a most remarkable resemblance of character and ideas. We seemed to have been made for each other. » To understand the irony, we must know the context of this union, made for convenience. After proposing to Elizabeth Bennet, a proposal that was rejected almost instantly, Mr. Collins proposes to Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth's very close friend. Given that this proposal comes right after the first one was rejected, it was obviously the easiest thing to do so that Mr. Collins would have a wife and Charlotte would have a secure future. However, Mr Collins said their marriage was the best solution. perfect, and that the coincidence of their characters is certainly not the reason why they get married, since Mr. Collins does not even pay attention to Charlotte, before being rejected by Elizabeth. Therefore, this is another example where Austen masterfully paints a picture of the times in which she wrote and its society, as well as a critique of it. The following dialogue is an example of irony in the novel, but the center of the irony is Elizabeth. , quite unexpectedly, as she has been portrayed, for most of the novel, as someone who is very aware of her surroundings and is not easily manipulated by others. “It’s quite shocking! He deserves to be publicly disgraced. » “One day it will be – but it won't be by me. Until I can forget his father, I will never be able to challenge or expose him. » This dialogue is a conversation between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Wickham, in her aunt's house, discussing the subject of Mr. Darcy and his late father. It describes his relationship with Darcy's family and the things that happened between them. To begin with, the irony here can be seen in Wickham's statement: "Until I can forget his father, I can never challenge or expose him." The statement itself is a contradiction, because after telling Elizabeth everything about what happened between him and Darcy's family, he says he can't expose her, which he actually does . However, Elizabeth is at the center of this ironic event, as are we, the readers. , can instantly realize that he is doing the exact opposite of what he claims to be doing. However, Elizabeth does not realize what Wickham is actually doing because she is overwhelmed by the information she has just learned. This novel is full of countless ironic examples, which were masterfully depicted by the author, Jane Austen. Having used all types of irony, verbal, situational, dramatic and above all, character irony, she managed to realistically describe the era of her existence and the type of society in which she lived. Keep in mind: This is just a sample .Get a custom paper from our expert writers now.Get a custom essayUsing only this simple literary device, Austen created a beautiful work of art in the form of a book which has been praised by many critics,/10.1177/002214650604700301)