Irony as a Communicative and Argumentative Strategy

Abstract

This article draws upon the polyphonic theory of Bakhtin (1970a, 1970b) as well as certain concepts utilized by Ducrot (1984), showing, in the field of a theory of discourse analysis — in this case, Charaudeau’s semiolinguistics (1983, 1992, 2008) — some procedures which lead to the construction of irony. The study takes into account that this linguistic phenomenon appears as a means of communication susceptible to the creation of argumentative strategies even if the latter are not presented in a non-conventional way. To illustrate this, the study uses, as a basis for reflection, excerpts from the memoirs or life narrative of a French artist whose form of writing, according to Bakhtin (1970b), may fall into the category of Carnival literature.