An Analysis Of Irony In Edith Wharton's The House Of Mirth

The House of Mirth was the first well-known book written by Edith Wharton(1862-1937)in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries.Once published,it caused a sensation in the New York Times in 1905 and was called “a novel with extraordinary power”.When creating The House of Mirth,Edith Wharton acutely grasps all kinds of contradictions in real life.Meanwhile,by the application of verbal irony and situational irony,she presented the profound theme in detail,subtly shaped different characters,and clearly expressed ironic language style.This thesis aims to make a systematic study of the art skills of irony in The House of Mirth from three aspects-theme presentation,characterization and language style.This thesis is divided into five chapters:Chapter One briefly introduces Edith Wharton's life and literature achievements,the main plot of The House of Mirth,the current research on The House of Mirth at home and abroad,the overview of the ironic theory,and the significance and framework of the thesis.Chapter Two studies the irony on the theme in The House of Mirth.The title of The House of Mirth comes from Ecclesiastes: “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning;but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” This is a true portrayal of the pleasure-seeking,morally bankrupt New York society in the 19 th century.By using irony,Edith Wharton mainly reveals two themes: the double oppression of men and women in a patriarchal society and the irreconcilable contradiction between reality and ideals in a commercialized society.First of all,money gives men power to control women,but it also reduces them to an invisible money-making machine and cash machine for women.Second,beauty provides women with the capital to marry into the rich and powerful,while gradually turning them into an artwork and a garniture of men.What's more,on account of money,the sisterhood among women has vanished,and what happens to women is mutual utilization and mutual deception.Chapter Three discusses the application and function of irony in characterization.In The House of Mirth,Edith Wharton makes a parody of gentlemen and ladies of old New York by using the ironical techniques.On the one hand,she jokes about the gentility of every “gentleman” in old New York.She flatly denies the old aristocrat Gus Trenor for his generosity and kindness,and gradually reveals his hypocrisy and guilty;she gives a detailed description of the new youth in the middle class Lawrence Selden's pursuit of free thought,but laments the fact that he is still unable to get rid of traditional moral concepts;she mercilessly lashes the nouveau riche Simon Rosedale for his venality,while at the same time praising his sympathy and kindness which are different from those of the old aristocracy.On the other hand,she mocks at the temperament of every “lady” in old New York.In terms of personality,influenced by the new and old values during the social transformation,Lily Bart,a smart and sociable beauty,refuses to lead an empty and indifferent life of the upper class,nor is she equipped with the basic skills of self-reliance in the lower class;when it comes to relationships,ladies select partners not out of love but because of money;in the case of kinship,a solitary dame from the upper class adopts her homeless niece not because of her own goodness but because she wants to show off noble qualities and gain a good reputation.Chapter Four analyzes Wharton's ironic language style.A large number of ironic factors in The House of Mirth inevitably leave a deep impression on readers.Edith Wharton is good at using polysemy and images to help readers understand her cold and obscure irony,so as to produce playful irony effects.The use of polysemy is mainly reflected in the name of the heroine Lily Bart,and the hero Lawrence Selden's speculation of Lily Bart's motive and her speculative value.Lily Bart's last name(Bart)hints at her fate as a barter in the marriage market.And her first name(Lily)represents a beautiful flower named lily,which is of great ornamental and decorative value.In addition,the use of image is mainly reflected in the following three images: Lily Bart's the house of “mirth”,her “bracelet” and Gus Trenor's “library”.First of all,as for the house of “mirth”,it is not “happy” for Lily Bart but rather distant,cold and lonely.Then,it seems that the “bracelet” worn by Lily Bart brings out her nobility and grace,but it also confines her to the pursuit of the impetuous luxurious life of high society like a handcuff.Last but not least,Gus Trenor's “library” is no longer a place for reading and contemplation,but a secret retreat for flirtation between men and women instead.Chapter Five is a conclusion of the thesis.It mainly comes to the academic conclusions and points out the shortcomings of the thesis.