Literary Irony at the Intersection of Three Rhetorical Proofs: The Case of 'The Wise Follies of Nasr Eddin Hodja'

Abstract

Objectives: In most argumentative research on irony, research approaches it through the prism of logos (arguments and logical reasoning). However, this study postulates that irony reinforces the other two rhetorical proofs: ethos (the image of the speaker), and pathos (the emotions that the speaker awakens in his audience). It also illustrates how narrative is considered a form of persuading the reader and analyzes it in its argumentative dimension.

Methods: To achieve these objectives, the study analyzed irony in the short story collection "The Follies of Nasreddin Hodja the Wise." This collection of tales was written by the author and translator Jean-Louis Maunoury in 2017. The study falls within multiple domains (rhetoric, discourse analysis, and argumentation theory) and follows an analytical approach.

Results: The study revealed that several tales in the corpus fall under pragmatic narrative. Similarly, the study demonstrated that the author of the ironic act can persuade the reader not only through logos but also through the other two rhetorical proofs: Ethos, which is developed through the speaker's humor, capable of creating a sense of sympathy in the interlocutor and predisposing them to accept the speaker's theses. Pathos, which is created through the sense of camaraderie and complicity that the interlocutor feels toward the speaker.

Conclusions: The study concluded that the speaker, using irony, can persuade the recipient through the support of the three evidential elements: logic, the speaker's image, and the arousal of emotion in the reader.