英语论文：论《警察与赞美诗》中反讽的运用.doc

论《警察与赞美诗》中反讽的运用

The use of irony in The Cop and the Anthem

Contents

摘要 (Ⅰ)

Abstract (Ⅱ)

Introduction (1)

1. Brief introduction of the author and the novel (2)

1.1 brief introduction of the author (2)

1.2 the author’s writing style (2)

2. The statement of irony (4)

3. The use of irony in The Cop and the Anthem (7)

3.1 Soapy’s way of wintering and his thoughts (7)

3.2 Soapy’s six backfired actions (9)

3.3cops’ duty and people’s view of cops (11)

3.4 Soapy’s view of cops’ irresponsibility (13)

3.5 Soapy has been influenced by anthem and decide to turn over a new leaf, but

is arrested (14)

Conclusion (17)

Notes (18)

Bibliography (19)

Acknowledgements

摘要

情景反讽作为一种主要的描写手法在欧·亨利《警察与赞美诗》中的运用成功地推动了小说情节的发展，增加了小说的戏剧性悬念，使小说的人物形象更加丰满。本文将剖析小说中的情景反讽的实例，以指出小说中情景反讽的反复运用表达了欧·亨利对当时美国资本主义社会中不合理的现象的抨击，还表达了作者对下层劳动人民的同情。作者将情景反讽贯穿于故事的开头、发展和结尾，揭露了资本主义社会的矛盾虚伪和黑白颠倒的本质。

关键词：情景反讽；警察与赞美诗；美国资本主义社会

Abstract

The adroit manipulation of situational irony by O. Henry in his masterpiece The Cop and the Anthem contributes first effectively to the unfolding of the plot. Next it increases its suspense of the plots. Last, it enables the characters vivid. In this paper I will analyze examples of situational irony in that story. The repetition of the use of situational irony expresses O. Henry’s attack on irrational phenomena in the American capitalist society at that time and also his sympathy for the lower class. The author applied the situational ironies in the beginning, development and the end in order to reveal the contradictory, hypocritical and topsy-turvy essence of the capitalist society.

Key words: situational irony，The Cop and the Anthem，American capitalist society

Introduction

O. Henry is considered as “Father of American modern short stories”and “Manhattan critics crown prose writer”. His work is full of humor, his stories are amusing, flippant, flat, biting and are filled with irony, sentiment, and pathos. One of his famous works, The Cop and the Anthem is the most typical one. This paper will reveal its rhetoric beauty and the darkness of the society in O. Henry’s time in the way of analyzing the use of irony in The Cop and the Anthem.

The paper falls into three parts. The first part gives brief introduction of the author and his writing style.The second part is the statement of irony, such as its definition and classification. The third part, which is the core of the paper, illustrates the use of situational irony in The Cop and the Anthem from five perspectives as follow: 1. Soapy’s way of wintering and his thoughts; 2. Soapy’s six backfired action; 3.cops’duty and people’s views of cops; 4. Soapy’s view of cops’ irresponsibility which disappoints Soapy; 5. Soapy has been influenced by anthem and decide to turn over a new leaf, but is arrested.

This thesis mainly helps to learn about the use of irony in O. Henry’s time.