IRONY

In a postmodern era of stimulation, mass communication and disenchantment, how are we to recognize sincerity from irony? Irony is both a figure of speech--saying one thing and meaning another--and an attitude to existence, in which the ironic subject adopts a position of skepticism and mistrust in relation to everyday language. In this clear, user-friendly guide, Claire Colebrook provides an historical and theoretical overview of irony, tracing its development from Socrates to the present-day, and explores the challenge that irony presents to communication and representation in literature today.This is the essential guide for any student of literary theory looking to unravel the many theories of this complex subject.