11 more than such a permutation of the markers, turning a mimesis which is normally
positive into a code of universal condemnation ”. As Booth 1974 says, irony
provides a new perspective as a reflection or looking back upon an old inferior one. Corbiere argues that in Rockliffe, 2006 p. 41, using irony, does not change
reality into a myth or just cover it with beauty, but makes contradiction of what his essence is, and expresses the resultant irritation with precise concrete meaning
behind. As Hutcheon as in Rockliffe, 2006, pp. 42, 48
points out, “Irony is a relational strategy in the sense that it operates not only between meanings said,
unsaid but between people ironists, interpreters, targets ”. This sort of irony can
be related to terms by Sperber and Wilson 1962 of which it is a quotation of existing material in such a way in expressing an attitude in relation to it, as well
as conveying something by the meaning. Irony itself is an indirect means of communicating and relaying an evaluation pp. 59-60. In addition, according to
Hutcheon, irony has “a cutting edge and thus an emotive force for it could affect
others through its use ” p. 49.
b. Types of Irony
Irony can be distinguished into verbal irony, dramatic irony, irony of situation, and irony of fate or cosmic irony according to Perrine 1974, p. 215.
As what Pettineo 2012 states as “the most common types of irony discussed in
textbooks or anthologies ” in his dissertation p. 7, it is classified into verbal irony,
dramatic irony and situational irony. Similarly, Arp and Johnson 2012 consider PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
12 those three types of irony to be the most common type to be found in fiction work
pp. 301-303.
1. Verbal irony is created when the implied meaning of the stated message is
either the opposite of or incongruous with the meaning of statement Pettineo, 2012, p. 7.
Booth 1974 defines it as ‘stable covert irony’ since the readers intend to reject a literal meaning because of ‘either some incongruity among the words
or between the words and something else that he knows.’ p. 10. Colebrook 2004 suggests that verbal irony shares notion of having hidden intended meaning
behind spoken words p. 15. It is not always the exactly opposite meaning because as Colebrook acknowledges, the meaning of verbal irony can be implied
from assumptions which relies on norms and values p. 16. Arp and Johnson 2012 define it as
“a figure of speech in which the speaker says the opposite of what he or she intends to say” p. 301.
Correspondingly, Abrams and Harpham 2012 refine verbal irony into utterance of which the implied meaning is different from what is conveyed p. 184. There
are cases which the statement is either straightforward or complicated. In the case of the spoken statement offers meaning and evaluation that is “simply reversed”
or exactly opposite, it is then called as straightforward. On the other hand, if the meaning and evaluation delivered through the statement is slightly qualified and
indirectly invite readers to assort themselves with “the knowing minority”, the verbal irony is likely to be
more “oblique and unobtrusive” pp. 184-185.
2. Dramatic irony
is the result when discrepancy between audiences’ and
characters ’ understanding of events in a play occurs Pettineo, 2012, p. 7. In
13 dramatic irony, the characters are not aware of the upcoming fates which the
audience are aware of. Similarly, Arp and Johnson 2012 depict it into the contrast that is created between what the character’s point of view unfold and what
the readers know p. 302. Since Grisham does not make use of this irony through Rudy’s use of point of view as the first person point of view in unfolding the
events in the story, the writer thus limits the definition of dramatic irony as stated above.
3. Situational irony results from
characters’ actions that bring different outcomes from what was expected Pettineo, 2012, p. 7. Another elaboration by
Arp and Johnson 2012 additionally limits that situational irony occurs in the incongruity between three things; “between appearance and reality, between
expectation and fulfillment, or between what is and what would seem appropriate”. In their opinion, situational irony is the most important kind of irony
to be used in fiction p. 302. Further, van Thompson 2016 expands it into two limitations. First, it occurs “when a characters actions bring unexpected results”
from readers’ point of view. Second, it is also an irony of situation when events in the story turn out either opposite of what readers expected or what the events
should be. He states as well that “situational irony can make a plot twist more
interesting, draw attention to a readers unwarranted biases, or show how a character handles an unexpected situation”.
