Ramy Amin

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to give a fresh account of the study of irony by investigating the role of time in the reading process. The study follows the idea of temporal displacement within the text to understand and profile the patterns of irony, and provides a formal reading of Milan Kundera's major novels. In this thesis, a systematic method of tracing the movement of irony to arrive at the structure of the text is taken up in terms of The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and Immortality. The thesis showcases three major types of irony in a manner that casts light on the particularities of three different texts. By focusing on the most important literary device used in Kundera's literary fiction, I demonstrate the function of situational, motif and thematic irony, whenever one or any combination of these ironic modes seems appropriate to the reading of the text at hand.

Department

English & Comparative Literature Department

Degree Name

MA in English & Comparative Literature

Graduation Date

6-1-2018

Submission Date

May 2018

First Advisor

Melaney, William

Committee Member 1

Abdel Nasser, Tahia

Committee Member 2

Topa, Alessandro

Extent

58 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Not necessary for this item

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