Irony in the modern Arabic novel (Cultural study of selected models)

Abstract

Irony is considered one of the modern critical terms. It is an artistic technique used by writers and poets without naming this phenomenon, despite its presence in the oldest human literature. Irony has raised many questions, and there has been much controversy around it. A number of researchers have put an end to it for fear of confusing it with other terms. It is It is one of the means used for fun and arousing astonishment to give the reader a sense of pleasure in discovering the relationship between words and the meaning that the writer wants from this irony. Among these ironies are spatial or temporal. Our Arabic literature is not devoid of words that indicate verbal irony, especially in the images of the magnificent (Badi'). I found rhetorical words that are close in this sense, such as puns and counterpoint, and in literary purposes, such as sarcasm and praise, similar to censure in our Arab heritage. Sarcasm is close to irony, but it is a little distant from it with regard to its function. Thus, Al-Jahidh is the maker of irony, not the maker of sarcasm.

The efforts of modern critics have focused on developing a comprehensive definition that prevents irony. The vision of Dr. Nabila Ibrahim and critic Siza Qasim was the most comprehensive, with their conviction that paradox is a verbal term and a form of saying, in which one meaning is implied, and another meaning is intended that is contrary to the apparent superficial meaning. The researcher chose several examples of the modern Arabic novel to study according to the cultural approach.