Abstract: Sarcasm is the use of irony to mean the opposite of what is being said. Adults are able to identify sarcasm using two distinct cue; context and intonation (change in tone of an individual’s voice). However, are children able to identify these cues and used them to determine sarcasm? And at what age do children have the ability to distinguish sarcasm from everyday speech? Children 8-12 years of age were put through two experiments to determine whether they are able to use context and intonation to identify sarcasm. At the end of the experiment it was determined that the children relied on intonation to identify sarcasm and when intonation was not present they were unable to determine whether or not the character was being sarcastic. …show more content…
This article states that adults use two cues to allow themselves to recognize sarcasm. These cues are context as well as intonation (change in tone of an individual voice when speaking). In this study two experiments where conducted. The first consisted of 32 third graders ranging from the ages of 8 to 10, and 32 sixth graders ranging from the age of 10 to 12. The participants in this experiment were presented with eight stories, in which each story had four different versions based on combination of two alternative story bodies and two alternative endings. For example, one of the stories used states, “Dick and Wendy were playing catch with a football at recess. Wendy threw out a long pass, and Dick was running full speed for it, when he slipped in the mud. His feet flew out from under him and he landed flat on his bottom. The ball bounced off his head and landed next to him in the mud. “Oooh, nice catch,” said Wendy.” (Capelli,1990) Another story used consisted of the same story body but an alternative ending. The alternative ending was stated as follows, “Wendy threw out a long pass, and Dick went running for it. He jumped in the air and then had to fall over backwards to catch it. “Oooh, nice catch,” said Wendy.” …show more content…
Pexman in the article “How Do Typically Developing Children Grasp The Meaning Of Verbal Irony?” designed an experiment that allowed individuals to understand the age range in which children are able to distinguish and understand the concept of sarcasm. The experiment consisted of 70 participants (36 male, 34 female) ranging from the ages of 6-10 years. In this experiment twenty-four puppets, who were dressed to resemble children, were used as characters in a puppet show. Twelve puppet shows were presented each ending with either an ironic, literal, ironic compliment, or literal compliment. The puppet show went as follows: “This is Sam, and this is John. They play on the same soccer team. It is the last few minutes of a game. Outcome 1: John kicks the ball, scoring a goal. Sam says: “That was a great play!” (Literal compliment) or Sam says: “That was a terrible play!” (Ironic compliment) Outcome 2: John kicks the ball, missing a goal. Sam says: “That was a great play!” (Ironic criticism) or Sam says: “That was a terrible play!” (Literal criticism).” (Pexman, 2006) These shows were set up in a way where the main character did not participate in any of the actions (ex: playing soccer) but always complimented/criticized the characters who did. The narratives of the puppet show were also prerecorded in order to ensure that the criticism made were done in a mocking/insincere tone. After watching the plays the children were asked to rate the main character/speakers
Verbal Irony is when words express something opposite of what is truthfully meant. The first example of verbal irony is whenever her husbands cooks a simple meal she shouts, "Aha! Scotch broth! What could be better?" This is irony because she acts as if she’s happy with the stew when she actually not. Instead as she says this she’s daydreaming of delicacies and a surrounding a higher class filled with silver and dishes upper class worthy. The second occurrence is when Madame Loisel husband comes home with an invitation to the ball and she calmly say, “ I have no dress and so I can't go to this party. Give your invitation to a friend whose wife has better clothes than I do."The reason this is verbal irony is because she makes it seem as if she does not want to go the party when in all actuality she’s trying to get him to buy her a dress for her to go. This is obviously put emphasis on by the way she cries then stops quickly before she makes her calmly toned statement ,which was in a way throwing a tantrum. in this example she’s being sarcastic again because she does not wish for her companion to give the invitation
The general argument made by Deborah Gilboa, MD in her work “Hey, Jimmy Kimmel, Find a Different Funny” is that although it may be harmless fun tricking your kids, it can also change their behavior. More specifically, Dr. Gilboa argues that tricking your kid for a laugh can have a negative impact on the relationship of the family. She writes, “parents shock and betray their kids for a laugh”. In this passage, Dr. Gilboa is implying that telling your kids that you ate their candy or give them a bad Christmas present is a very bad idea and it will degrade the trust between the parent and the kid. In conclusion, Dr. Gilboa believes that parents should not lie to their kids for a cheap laugh. In the end the doctor tried to persuade Jimmy Kimmel by explaining that children are not mentally developed, there are negative consequences from the parent’s action, and using strong word choice.
Elizabeth Minchin’s “The Expression of Sarcasm in the ‘Odyssey’”, published in 2010, analyzes Homer’s usage of sarcasm in the “Odyssey” and explains its significance. Minchin’s critical analysis peaked my interest specifically because it studies not only the expression, but the reception of sarcasm as seen in the “Odyssey”.
The first type of irony is verbal irony, which shows what a character said but they really meant
The first type of irony, verbal irony, “occurs in a conversation where a person aims to be understood as meaning something different
S. J. Perelman uses phrases like, …I made the most important discovery: the shortest, cheapest method of inducing a nervous breakdown ever perfected” to express sarcasm (Perelman, 186). He exaggerates his character’s experience in phrases like, “the subject is placed in a sharply
In my opinion, Thiong’o’s direct approach allowed certain attention to his opinion and prevented confusion on what outcome he is expecting. His intention is made very clear through is essay by being direct. The use of sarcasm would allow readers to look at issues as a joke instead of addressing the problem themselves. By being direct, Thiong’o forces the reader to think
A sense of dramatic irony is thought to be used throughout the reading. However, the book often takes a turn so that the reader’s previous thoughts on the plot are changed.
(Verbal Irony) “‘They want romance but, I’m not prepared to behave like that publicly, at least not when I haven’t truly connected with someone. Still, I need to give them something’” (Eadlyn says to Kile) (Cass 110). This quote display’s that the, two kids (Kile and Eadlyn), have been friends forever and the audience did not think that they would ever come together and show this affection to each other. This shows a quality plot because, it makes the story. That means that this scene in The Heir is a huge part in the rest of the book. (Verbal Irony) “If it was, perhaps it’s not what you thought it would be and now, you’re in a situation you don’t particularly like” (Cass 210). This quote displays that, Ean just opened her up like a book. This shows a quality plot because, it’s a part that no one expected. It makes the reader want to read more. Irony is, the expression of one’s meaning by using language (action or a situation) that signifies the opposite. Kiera Cass uses irony to make the book more interesting by using it in the most random places so the boring parts become some of the best parts. In The Heir, irony is used to show a quality
Richard Pryor once said, “There’s a thin line between to laugh with and to laugh at” (A-Z Quotes). Leon Rappoport, a professor at Kansas State University, believed in the same thin line as Pryor. Rappoport received his BA and MS at New York University, and completed his PhD in 1963 at the University of Colorado(Kansas State University). He studied psychological sciences, and concentrated his studies in decision making and human judgment, even writing a book called Punchlines: The Case for Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Humor (Kansas State University). In another book, The Sword and Shield Metaphor and Other Perspectives, Rappoport claims that humor depends on how the audience receives humor. The audience can either be on the side of the audience that is getting laughed at, or they can be on the side of the audience that is laughing with other people.
Irony is most commonly used in dialogue to express sarcasm and humor, however it can also be applied to add depth to literature. Mary Shelley employs irony in Frankenstein to emphasize the truth and prompt her readers to question pivotal concepts. Her use of irony does not intended for humor, but instead, she utilizes ironic devices to enhance her overall themes and convey the unpredictable consequences of actions.
Unless the writer is very aware of how to create tone in their messages the reader may not catch on to the joke, and a conflict will quickly arise.
Humour and satire are two concepts that are both wide ranging and diverse, from dark, to light hearted, with each producing a different effect. Humour in the main, is something that is used to please the audience, its function is to invoke laughter amongst its audience. Satire is used to create a comical critical view of the subject at hand, this can range from a light hearted comical way, to a judgemental way, with each style giving the text a different meaning, however this does not mean that satire cannot be humorous, which can evident in the use of parody and irony within texts. Within literature both concepts play an important role to how the text is viewed, humour can include word play, grammatical jokes, to even inside jokes with the author and reader, and with satire, including that of irony and parody, with each style and type delivering humour in its own unique way. These differing styles of humour can be found in a variety of forms including Jasper Forde’s The Eyre Affair (2001), with its silly atmosphere, word play and grammar jokes, and the use of light hearted satire and parody to brighten up the text, and Julian Barnes A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters (1989), where there is a more serious atmosphere, with a more critical, satirical eye on history and characters, as well as using irony to achieve its comical effect, and the position of the world. Each text is humorous and satirical in its own right, and with each author using different techniques to
Tim Oates is very sarcastic throughout his article, which really makes him play with emotions through pathos. His emotional appeal is kind of told through how a robot would think with emotions. By talking in a sense of how a robot would think emotionally a sense of humor is given, because, logically, how would a computer have emotions? He uses this idea, that computers can’t have emotion, to his advantage as a common folk would nearly understand that a computer can’t have emotions, realistically. The way he incorporates this is with sarcasm through. In other words, Oates uses the fact that robots can’t have emotions, and if they did, it would be kind of funny to try to
A reoccurring theme in the play Macbeth is the use of ironic events. Irony is an unexpected occurrence that takes the audience by surprise and generally means the opposite of what is expected. These contradictory events enhance the plot of a story and create suspense. Irony is portrayed multiple times in this play and is known for making the play so amusing. Unexpected incidents throughout the plot occur in scenes involving the witches’ prophecies, Macbeth’s crimes committed to become king, and the back-and-forth changes in the mindset of Lady Macbeth.