A comparative study: Ironic functions in literary works

Irony always happens in human life. It does not only happen in real life but also it is found in literary works. The researcher analyzes ironies in two short stories: “The Chrysanthemums” (1938) and “Paul’s Case A Study In Temperament” (1905); seven poems “Blowin’ in the Wind” (1962), “Government” (1914), “Richard Cory” (1897), “I, Too” (1926), “On Being Brought From Africa to America” (1773), “Talking in Bed” (1964) and “Ironic” (2013); one play “M. Butterfly” (1988). Ironies are the main topic in this research. The discussion is through kind of ironies, comparison of ironies, and the ironic functions in literary works. In this research, the researcher used the methods of structuralism by Tyson (2006) and comparative literature by Bassnett (1999) for describing the situation and problem in narration. Thus, the comparison of literary works is the way to find out the problem. The researcher used theories of Hawthorn (1985) in the usage of symbols, Johnson (1969) in changing character, theory of Palmer (1992) in moral message, and theory of Jones (1986) in social conflict. There are three steps to collect and to analyze data: reading short story, poetry, and drama —identifying ironies in short story, poetry, and drama—then comparing similarities and differences in short story, poetry, and drama. Based on the analysis, the researcher found situational ironies, verbal ironies, and dramatic ironies. The comparison of ironies got the result called function. The results of function are different in each. The functions are changing character in short story, moral message in poem, and social conflict in play. Thus, the function was found with the process of comparison and supported by symbols. Ironies in literary works used symbols, then the symbols aimed to explain irony in the story