A Reading Of Irony In Ian Mcewan’s Solar

As a well-known British writer of fiction, Ian McEwan has attracted considerableattention and favour from critics and readers worldwide with his remarkable literaryaccomplishments with novels of finery one after another. His works express his deep concernover the living situation of contemporary human. His relatively new book Solar (2010) hasgained him favourable criticisms from academics and readers since its publication. Eventhough there is a considerable comprehensive academic studies on Ian McEwan and his otherworks, most of the previous studies on Solar are just introductory reviews and there are veryfew critical writings focusing on systematic and profound analysis. Solar is still in need ofacademic and detailed study.This thesis attempts to explore the art of irony skilfully displayed in the novel and theaesthetic values achieved through manipulation of the artistic technique. As a rhetorical andphilosophical definition, irony has been carefully and diversely studied across centuries. Fromits basic definition, this thesis analyzes the employment of different forms of irony inMcEwan’s Solar combining with Booth’s methodology and discussion of stable irony in ARhetoric of Irony. We can draw a conclusion that as a rhetorical device irony creates anaesthetic distance between McEwan and the object of his criticism, yet at the same timemaking it inevitable that the criticism itself will be saturated in the discourse and context ofthe target of ironization.This thesis consists of four chapters except introduction and conclusion.Introduction includes a brief review on Ian McEwan and his works, a literature reviewon Solar, a general introduction to irony as well as a structure of the thesis.The first chapter discusses how situational irony is manipulated in the text. In the depiction and characterization, the protagonist’s fate is a doomed failure. The delineation ofhis fate is the displaying of a highly ironic fate. Moreover, the manipulation of other forms ofsituational irony intensifies irony in the book.The second chapter analyzes dramatic irony in the novel. Through the fine design ofpoint of view, McEwan offers readers a specific perceptive to observe and inspect the wholestory to achieve an aesthetic effect.The third chapter explores verbal irony in language in the book. Throughout the novel,McEwan cleverly controls the pattern with the handling of understatement and overstatement.The two forms of verbal irony provide the story with suspense, surprise and humour.Additionally, the imitation of science language in the book and the appendix of a fake lectureon Nobel Prize add to the book a hinge of realistic and mocking tone.The fourth chapter aims to explore the aesthetic values achieved through irony.Pragmatic, evasive and distance functions are achieved through ironic description.The conclusion summarizes the thesis that irony is essential to Ian McEwan’s art and thenovelist achieves an artistic expression, through the expression readers can have a betterunderstanding of human weaknesses.