Book contents
7 - Sarcasm and Humour
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 March 2018
Summary
In this chapter, I focus on two notions that are related to irony on different levels: I explain the relationship between irony and both sarcasm and humor. Irony and sarcasm are normally considered to be two different phenomena, but we do not easily agree when determining how they should be differentiated. Most authors mention victims, aggressiveness and clarity when distinguishing between irony and sarcasm: sarcasm always has a victim, sarcasm is more aggressive than irony, and sarcasms are clearer than ironies. Then, I focus on the relationship between irony and humor. Irony is usually considered to be funny. In order to understand this link, I present two main theories of humor: the incongruity and superiority theories of humor. Humor is said to arise when an apparent incongruity is resolved, or when we have a feeling of superiority towards someone. These two ideas can explain why we often consider that irony is funny: in ironic communication, there is always an apparent incongruity (a clash between meanings) and a feeling of superiority (a expression of a negative attitude towards someone or something).
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- Irony , pp. 126 - 146Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2018
References
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