1. Publications
Chang, H. C. (2012). The Limitations of the Reflector-Character in The
Ambassadors. Issues in English Language Teaching and Learning at Tertiary
Level: Asian Perspectives, 217-225. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Chang, H. C. (2014). The Impact of the Feminist Heroine: Elizabeth in Pride
and Prejudice. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English
Literature, 3(3) 76-82. Australian International Academic Center.

2. A Pragmatic Analysis of Verbal
Irony in Pride and Prejudice

3. Verbal irony plays a major role in character construction in
Jane Austen’s 1813 novel, Pride and Prejudice.
Character construction is not often studied in linguistics in
the presence of discourse irony.
The approach is a two-tiered method incorporating
speaker intent and hearer uptake.
Background
1

4. Character Construction
Discourse constructs the topic, and knowledge about
the topic acquires authority, infusing a “truth” about it
(Hall, 1992: 293). According to Foucault, discourse takes shape
as knowledge with the words carrying their own power.
Subjection: “that reiterative power of discourse to
produce the phenomena that it regulates and
constrains” (Butler, 1993: 2).
Butler’s theory of subjection, influenced by Beauvoir
(1976) and Foucault (1980),is identity creation via linguistic
means.
2

5. 3
Modified Speech Act Theory

6. Character Construction through
Performatives
Declarations + Subjection = Performatives
Example: John says to Mary’s good friend Amy, (PER)
“Mary is not a fun person to be friends with.”
4

7. Echoic Theory of Verbal Irony
Emphasizes speaker’s perspective of hearer uptake
Verbal irony is called a kind of “echoic allusion”
credited to some previously existing idea, utterance
or even a social norm (Wilson & Sperber, 1992; 2012).
Echoic allusion: ironist believes the idea to be
ridiculous, untruthful, deficient, or otherwise
unsuitable when said (Wilson, 2006).
5

8. Classification
Modified Speech Act Theory & Echoic Allusion
Speech acts’ infelicity (unconventional speech acts)
shows through echoic allusion, verifying verbal irony.
Example: (ASR) “The pie is made just the way I like to eat it,
unsweetened so I can add the sugar to my taste.” (pg. 35)
6

9. Echoic Groupings of Verbal Irony
(Critical) (Apprehensive/Civil) (Friendly)
Derived from echoic theory’s allusions
Disagreement Neutral Agreement
7

10. (Humorology) Incongruity and Superiority
Theories
Incongruity Theory (e.g. Norrick, 2003)
Incongruity-resolution (Buijzen & Valkenburg, 2004)
Dual layers of literal and figurative meanings
Resolution is realization of irony
Superiority theory: explains the motivation behind
verbal irony (e.g. Morreall, 2009)
Socially, economically, intelligently, educationally,
materialistically, or emotionally
Banter principle (Leech, 1983; Nowik, 2005)
Impolite on the surface, but polite in essence 8

11. Support for incorporating humorology for
explication of verbal irony
“The incongruity-resolution theory may be combined
with the superiority approach, each accounting for
distinct sources of humor which coincide in sarcastic
irony.”
(Dynel, 2013: 313; etc.)
9

12. 10

13. Hypotheses
Characterization through verbal irony is
represented via speaker intent and hearer uptake.
Echoic groupings depict characterization when
utterances are comprised of disagreement, neutral,
and agreement echoic groupings.
11

14. Rationale
Three-step Argument:
Step 1. Performative speech acts depict
characterization. (Butler’s performative speech
act)
Step 2. Performative speech acts have a correlation
with echoic groupings. (SPSS results)
Step 3. Echoic groupings show characterization.
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15. Test Results
SPSS bivariate tests inspect relationship between each
speech act classification and three echoic groupings.
Data comprised of 157 total ironical speech acts, 81 are
ironical performative speech acts.
Performative speech acts have a correlation with the three
echoic groupings.
Therefore, echoic groupings depict characterization.
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16. Echoic Groupings
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17. Data Analysis
81 ironical performative speech acts analyzed out
of all 157 ironical utterances, which are used to
determine echoic grouping dominance.
Three phases of plot based on dominant echoic
groupings:
Disagreement Dominant Phase
Neutral Dominant Phase
Agreement Dominant Phase
15

18. PERs between Pride and Prejudice’s
Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth
16

19. Disagreement Dominant Phase Example
(PER11.19) “And your defect is to hate everybody.” (Elizabeth)
(PER11.20) “And yours,” he replied with a smile, “is willfully to misunderstand
them.” (Mr. Darcy)
(Austen, 2003: 57)


 Conversational theme of “Ridicule”
 Elizabeth mocks Mr. Darcy through an ironical overstatement, constructing his
character as hateful.
 Incongruity in Elizabeth’s echo is the fact that everybody dislikes Mr. Darcy,
revealing her and society’s perception that he is very proud (Austen, 2003: 18).
 Mr. Darcy constructs Elizabeth’s identity through his verbal irony which alludes to
her independent way of thinking shown through her “willfulness,” unlike Mr. Bingley
and Caroline who lack a strong will.
Social Views
17

20. Neutral Dominant Phase Example
(PER31.01) “and I have had the pleasure of your acquaintance long enough to
know that you find great enjoyment in occasionally professing
opinions which in fact are not your own.” (Mr. Darcy)
. . . .
(PER31.02) “I am particularly unlucky in meeting with a person so able to
expose my real character, in a part of the world where I had hoped
to pass myself off with some degree of credit.” (Elizabeth)
(Austen, 2003: 170)

 Conversational theme of “Apprehensive Banter”
 Mr. Darcy’s verbal irony is an echo of his previous ironical assessment of Elizabeth’s
opinionated nature to stress her judgmental character.
 Incongruity is found in Mr. Darcy’s use of “pleasure” for he did not approve of
Elizabeth imposing her own opinions on him.
 Superiority theory explains Elizabeth’s reciprocal banter which mocks Mr. Darcy’s
knowledge for revealing her “true” character, emphasizing their similarities in
character, as both are proud and judgmental.
Individual Character
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21. Agreement Dominant Phase Example
(DIR60.01) “Now be sincere; did you admire me for my impertinence?”
(Elizabeth)
(PER60.01) “For the liveliness of your mind, I did.” (Mr. Darcy)
(PER60.02) “You may as well call it impertinence at once.” (Elizabeth)
(Austen, 2003: 359)

 Conversational theme of “One Mind”
 Through superiority theory, she mocks her own “impertinence” alluding to Mr.
Darcy’s initial impression of her, also echoing herself as impertinent in the beginning
of their acquaintance (Austen, 2003: 25).
 Mr. Darcy echoes himself when he describes that an accomplished woman according
to him must focus on cultivating “her mind" (Austen, 2003: 39). His dissociative
attitude alludes to his initial disdain for her, illustrating Elizabeth’s profound impact
on his moral character to reveal the incongruity.
 Elizabeth constructs her own character through her performative speech act to
accentuate her feminist perspective and autonomy that Mr. Darcy admires. She
alludes to his wisdom to perceive her independent nature, emphasizing their “one
mind.”
Inner-Self
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22. Findings
Disagreement dominant phase (47 PERs):
Opposing societal views
Neutral dominant phase (24 PERs):
Individual character
Agreement dominant phase (10 PERs):
Inner self
These three phases of characterization concurrently
identify major phases within the plot.
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23. Conclusions
Modification of Searle’s speech act taxonomy to include
Butler’s performative speech act provides future researchers
a bridge to close the gap between Searle’s taxonomy and
characterization.
Echoic groupings allow verbal irony to have greater clarity
in the analysis of characterization.
Butler’s theory of subjection, that identities are formed via
linguistic means, is influential for analyzing character
construction, especially in the presence of discourse irony.
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24. Thank you!