THE MASK OF DECORUM AND SOCIAL HIERARCHY: IRONY AS A SUBVERSIVE TOOL IN FEMALE DISCOURSE IN JANE AUSTEN’S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54613/ku.v18iB.1698Keywords:
irony, female discourse, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, social hierarchy, feminist stylistics, gender, symbolic resistanceAbstract
This article explores the role of irony as a subversive tool in female discourse in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Drawing upon Booth’s theory of rhetorical irony, Muecke’s concept of ironic duality, and Mills’s feminist stylistic approach, the study examines how female characters employ irony to challenge social hierarchy, patriarchal authority, and restrictive conventions of decorum. Through textual analysis of Elizabeth Bennet’s interactions with Mr. Collins, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Mr. Darcy, the article demonstrates that irony functions not only as a literary device but also as a means of negotiating power and expressing intellectual independence. Austen’s ironic discourse exposes contradictions within social institutions while simultaneously constructing a female voice capable of resisting ideological constraints. The findings reveal that irony serves as a subtle yet effective strategy of symbolic resistance that allows women to criticize dominant social structures without overt confrontation. The article also analyzes the linguopragmatic and discursive properties of irony, highlighting its manifestation by female characters as a means of expressing opinions, expressing discontent, and defending their positions in conditions of social restrictions. During the study, ironic speech units are interpreted as an important communicative mechanism that reveals conflicts between social statuses and serves to reassess gender stereotypes. It is also argued that irony in Austen's novel serves not only to create an individual character, but also to critically reflect the dominant ideological views in society. The author's artistic skill is clearly visible in the manifestation of the intellectual potential and independent worldview of the female voice through irony.
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