Abstract: Evelyn Waugh, who was recognized as a famous novelist in the 20th century’s Britain, inherited and developed the tradition of irony in English literature descending from Jonathan Swift to Bernard Shaw. A Handful of Dust published in 1934, is one of Waugh’s most famous novels with the art of irony as its most distinctive character. This paper aims to analyze the art of irony in A Handful of Dust and interpret respectively its verbal irony, situational irony and parody irony. The paper also attempts to explore both the artistic value of aesthetics and the underlying orientation of spirituality. 

Keywords: Evelyn Waugh；A Handful of Dust；irony

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction1

1.1 Evelyn Waugh

1.2 A Handful of Dust

1.3 Definition of Irony

2. Literature Review.2

2.1 Researches on the Art of Irony

2.2 Researches on Irony in Evelyn Waugh’s A Handful of Dust

3. An Interpretation of Irony in A Handful of Dust..3

3.1 Verbal Irony

3.2 Situational Irony

3.3 Parody Irony

4. The Artistic Value of Irony in A Handful of Dust.5

4.1 Narrative Characteristic: Narrative Tension

4.2 Narrative Effect: Mix of Comedy and Tragedy

4.3 Narrative Style: Objective Narration

5. Conclusion8

Bibliography.9

Acknowledgments..10