Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fundamentals
130
9
https://eipublication.com/index.php/jsshrf
TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
130-132
DOI
OPEN ACCESS
SUBMITED
28 March 2025
ACCEPTED
24 April 2025
PUBLISHED
26 May 2025
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue05 2025
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
Irony and Sarcasm as
Stylistic Devices in World
Fiction
Sultonova Nigora Abduganievna
Senior teacher, Uzbekistan State University of World Languages,
Uzbekistan
Abstract:
This article deals with the use of irony and
sarcasm as stylistic devices in world fiction. These
instruments entertain readers as well as challenge
ideas, societal systems, and characters. While sarcasm
provides cutting, usually funny comments, irony lets
writers build nuanced meanings that contradict literal
interpretations. This paper shows how sarcasm and
irony improve narrative depth and reveal underlying
realities by means of analysis of a few chosen works
from English, Russian, and Uzbek literature. In the end,
these artistic approaches enhance literary conversation
and involve readers in active interpretation of moral
dilemmas and ideas.
Keywords:
Irony, sarcasm, stylistic device, literary
criticism, narrative strategy, satire, voice, world fiction.
Introduction:
A special role in literary language, irony
and sarcasm are great tools for communicating depth,
critique, and uncertainty. These stylistic strategies let
authors convey one thing while indicating another
—
often the opposite
—
so involving readers in a more
profound degree of interpretation. Irony and sarcasm
have been used throughout genres and eras in world
literature to challenge society standards, mock power
systems, and offer alternate points of view.
Simplistically, irony is a difference between anticipation
and reality. It could be dramatic, situational, or
conversational. Dramatic irony happens when the
audience understands more than the characters;
situational irony emerges from an unexpected
conclusion that contrasts with expected results; and
verbal irony is the reverse of what a speaker intends.
Though it is more stinging and usually meant to be taken
as a joke or insult, sarcasm is intimately associated with
verbal irony. Though sarcasm is typically more overt and
Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fundamentals
131
https://eipublication.com/index.php/jsshrf
Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fundamentals
combative, irony may be subtle and refined.
In fiction, where writers build intricate moral or
philosophical storylines, enhance characters, and
develop ideas, these tactics are especially important.
For instance, Jane Austen's books abound in sardonic
satire challenging social class and gender roles without
clearly denouncing them. In Russian writing, too, Gogol
and Chekhov deftly used sarcasm and irony to mock
bureaucracy, hypocrisy, and existential gloom.
Irony and sarcasm also enable writers to separate
themselves from the story so that readers could doubt
the reality of events and the dependability of the
narrators. In postmodern literature, when uncertainty
and self-reflexion rule, this narrative approach is
fundamental. Irony is used by writers such as Kurt
Vonnegut and Salman Rushdie not only for comedy but
also as a means of opposition against great narratives
and official speech. Irony has been a subtle but
constant element in Uzbek writing, particularly in front
of sociopolitical restrictions. Writers like G'afur G'ulom
and Abdulla Qahhor negotiated censorship by means
of sarcasm, therefore conveying critique of moral and
societal stagnation. Their use of snarky characters and
ironic turns helped the reader to grasp society
concerns without direct challenge. By examining their
use in a few chosen global fiction works, this essay
investigates the literary purpose of irony and sarcasm.
It shows their continuous importance in both classical
and modern settings by stressing their stylistic and
thematic contributions to narrative structure and
reader involvement.
METHOD
In stylistics, literary theory, and pragmatics, irony and
sarcasm have been especially studied. Wayne Booth's
theoretical models in The Rhetoric of Irony show how
shared knowledge helps irony to bind the author and
the reader [1]. In his style, Paul Simpson sets sarcasm
as a sort of indirect aggressiveness between "mock
politeness" and "mock impoliteness [2]." Bakhtin's
"dialogism" theory helps to explain how irony lets
several voices into a text, therefore allowing opposing
interpretations [3]. As shown in Dostoyevsky's works
[4], this polyphonic potential makes irony a necessary
instrument in books meant to challenge accepted
ideas.
Asqarov investigates the use of irony in the works of
Abdulla Qahhor in Uzbek literary research, stressing
how social critique is ingrained in daily interactions and
little nuances [5]. Likewise, Sharopov's studies show
sarcasm as a protective tactic used by Uzbek realism
literature protagonists confronting injustice or
absurdity [6].
Masters of irony and sarcasm, Western literary study
often names Swift, Dickens, and Wilde. One classic
example of verbal irony covered in rhetorical
earnestness is Swift's modest proposal [7]. The
Importance of Being Earnest by Wilde is rife with
scathing quips and epigrams highlighting Victorian
hypocrisies [8].
Modern researchers such as Linda Hutcheon contend
that postmodern irony serves as a tool for ideological
deconstruction since it questions certainty and opposes
closure [9]. Attardo underlines in translating research
that cultural connections and complex meaning can
prevent direct translation of irony and sarcasm [10].
These studies highlight how dynamically effective tools
of communication and commentary irony and sarcasm
are for style. Their use enables fiction to explore
ideological subversion, self-reflexivity, and reader
involvement,
so
transcending
narrative.
Irony
permeates the whole Pride and Prejudice by Jane
Austen. "It is a truth universally acknowledged" opens
with a classic case of verbal irony. It gently questions
society's fixation on riches and marriage. The scathing
comments Mr. Bennet makes toward Mrs. Bennet
expose the ridiculousness of social pretensions and
patriarchal dynamics. The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde is a masterwork of literary irony.
Characters sometimes speak in clever, conflicting lines.
Algernon's assertion that "the truth is rarely pure and
never simple" exposes the complexity and corruption of
Victorian morality, therefore subverting its standards.
Gogol's The Overcoat offers irony in Russian fiction by
means of its tragicomic story. The ghostly vengeance of
a man neglected in life accentuates the irony. Chekhov's
The Cherry Orchard emphasizes the fall of the
aristocracy among humorous misinterpretation by use
of situational irony.
The Uzbek short stories of Abdulla Qahhor use sarcasm
to attack moral and societal decline. Originally funny,
the protagonist's exacting behavior in "Sinchalak"
exposes more on loss of individual thought and
obsessive conformity. Using the sarcasm of a
mischievous toddler, G'afur G'ulom exposes adult
hypocrisy
and
fear
under
Stalinist
tyranny.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt vonnegut employs irony as
a kind of philosophical meditation. After every death,
the line "So it goes" trivializes the catastrophe of war, so
generating a contradiction between narrative tone and
subject matter. His sarcastic distance invites readers to
consider the morality of war and the essence of free will.
These illustrations demonstrate how sarcasm and irony
are narrative engines as well as stylistic accents. They
enable writers to interact with their readers outside the
confines of the story, therefore strengthening
characterization and offering criticism.
Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fundamentals
132
https://eipublication.com/index.php/jsshrf
Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fundamentals
Finish. Essential stylistic tools that enhance the
complexity of story and encourage critical thought are
irony and sarcasm. Their use in world fiction crosses
cultural lines, letting authors challenge authority, draw
attention to conflict, and quietly but powerfully convey
dissent. These devices enable literature to convey
truth through indirection whether in Austen's genteel
society, Gogol's bureaucracy, or Qahhor's moral satire.
Irony and sarcasm are still effective tools of critique as
cultures change and face fresh problems. They
encourage readers to dispute set interpretations and
delve behind appearances, therefore promoting active
participation and layered interpretation. Irony and
sarcasm guarantee that fiction remains a forum for
intellectual and emotional inquiry by linking humor
and insight, therefore ensuring its continuity.
CONCLUSION
Irony and sarcasm are not merely literary ornaments
but powerful rhetorical tools that enrich world fiction
with depth, critique, and subtlety. As demonstrated
through examples from English, Russian, and Uzbek
literature, these devices serve to expose societal
contradictions, critique authority, and unveil the inner
psyche of characters. Irony functions through
contradiction between surface and underlying
meanings,
encouraging
readers
to
question
appearances and engage critically with the text.
Sarcasm, often sharper and more direct, confronts
flawed
ideologies
and
hypocrisy,
delivering
commentary through wit and exaggeration. Together,
they add complexity to narratives and invite readers to
become co-interpreters rather than passive consumers
of literature.
What distinguishes their use in fiction across cultures
is the unique historical and cultural context that shapes
the tone, purpose, and impact of these devices. For
instance, English satirists employ irony to critique class
and politics, while Russian authors use it to expose
existential absurdities. Uzbek literature integrates
irony with moral and philosophical themes rooted in
tradition. By mastering irony and sarcasm, authors
craft narratives that resonate on multiple levels
—
humorous, tragic, critical, and enlightening. Ultimately,
these stylistic tools are indispensable in constructing
literature that not only entertains but also interrogates
human nature, society, and the ambiguities of truth.
REFERENCES
Booth W.C. The Rhetoric of Irony.
—
Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1974.
Simpson P. On the Discourse of Satire.
—
Amsterdam:
John Benjamins, 2003.
Бахтин М.М. Проблемы поэтики Достоевского. —
М.: Высшая школа, 1986.
Dostoyevsky F.M. Notes from Underground.
—
New
York: Penguin, 2004.
Аскаров А. Қаҳҳор ижодида ҳаёт ва ҳажв. —
Тошкент:
Фан, 2002.
Шаропов С. Ўзбек реалист адабиётида сатира ва
юмор. —
Самарқанд: СамДУ, 201
1.
Swift J. A Modest Proposal.
—
Dublin: 1729.
Wilde O. The Importance of Being Earnest.
—
London:
Penguin, 2000.
Hutcheon L. Irony’s Edge: The Theory and Politics of
Irony.
—
London: Routledge, 1994.
Attardo S. Irony as Relevant Inappropriateness.
—
Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2000.
Vonnegut K. Slaughterhouse-Five.
—
New York:
Delacorte, 1969.
Austen J. Pride and Prejudice.
—
London: Penguin, 1995.
Gogol N.V. The Overcoat.
—
Moscow: Eksmo, 2007.
Chekhov A.P. The Cherry Orchard.
—
London: Methuen,
2008.
