Abstract

This thesis is intended to study the phenomenon of irony in the novels of Charles Dickens, mainly in Oliver Twist. Irony has been a tricky concept and it would be a worthwhile attempt in critical sphere to survey the ironies and ironic spirit in the works of this world-prestigious writer.

Charles Dickens is a great writer emerging from the lower middle class in Victorian England. His novels are believed to present a vivid picture of the morality of the Victorian middle class. It is in common knowledge that Dickens is not only a great novelist, but a great ironist, and his ironic strength does not fail in Oliver Twist, but there is not yet abundant serious works devoted to the irony in Oliver Twist.

The theories of irony come from varieties of sources, among which mainly from the works by D.C. Murcke and Wayne C. Booth. The thesis contains four chapters: Chapter One introduces the concept of irony, the contents of some works by Charles Dickens, and lays out my survey method. Chapter Two provides theories concerning irony, critical responses t those works, mainly Oliver Twist, and a glimpse of the ironic spirit in them. Chapter Three give descriptions of irony in Oliver Twist, the treatment accorded to each is largely similar, and meanwhile attention is paid to its singularity. Chapter Four offers a brief conclusion.


Key words:  Irony, Ironic strength, Ironic spirit

摘        要

本论文的主旨在于研究英国作家查尔斯•狄更斯的小说《雾都孤儿》中的反讽现象。反讽存在于“表面的”、“显在的”意义与“内在的”、“隐藏的”意义的分歧之间，是一个涵盖甚广的概念。研究这本举世闻名的小说中的反讽和反讽意象，在文学研究和批评方面有其不可忽视的意义。查尔斯•狄更斯是一位享誉世界的文学大家，同时也是一位公认的反讽高手，《雾都孤儿》这部小说又是其代表作之一；然而国内关于这部小说中讽刺手法的探讨不甚丰富，因此希望这篇论文能起到抛砖引玉的作用。

查尔斯•狄更斯是维多利亚时代从中下阶层涌现出来的一位伟大作家，他的诸多作品被公认为是维多利亚时代资产阶级的生动写照。众所周知，狄更斯不仅是一位伟大的作家，同时他还是一位杰出的讽刺高手，他的讽刺力量在《雾都孤儿》里面得到了非常好的体现。然而目前的研究资料里面，关于讽刺手法在《雾都孤儿》中的运用的探讨，所见不多。

本文引用的反讽理论来自多个方面，其中最重要的来源是 D. C. Murcke 和Wayne C. Booth。论文共分四章。第一章介绍了反讽的概念、这部小说的基本内容以及我的研究方法。第二章提供了一些相关的反讽理论、有关于这部小说的批评理论，以及对于它的反讽的一个初步探讨。第三章着重分析了《雾都孤儿》中的反讽现象，联系查尔斯•狄更斯的成长经历和生平探讨其行文风格形成的原因，并以以原著内容中的节选作为分析的中心。第四章给出了简短的结论。


关键词：反讽, 讽刺力量, 讽刺精神