ANALYSIS OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: FOCUS ON PARADOX, IRONY, AND SATIRE IN CANNIBALISM IN THE CARS BY MARK

TWAIN

PAPER

Submit to fulfill the one of the assignment of Prose 1 (Short Stories) in Adab and Humanity Faculty which is guided by

Mr. Pepen Setiawan

Analyzed by:

SANTI RAMDHANI

ISLAMIC STATE UNIVERSITY

SUNAN GUNUNG DJATI

BANDUNG

2011

PREFACE

Praise and thanks I give to Allah SWT. Blessing and

greeting I give to Prophet Muhammad SAW. Because of the

blessing this paper could be resolved.

The paper entitled Analysis Of Figurative Language: Focus

To Paradox, Irony, And Satire In Cannibalism In The Cars

By Mark Twain submitted to fulfill one of the assignment of

Prose I (Short Stories) which is guided by Mr. Pepen

Setiawan.

I am sure that this paper is not too perfect because there

are a lot of mistakes in analyzing. I apologize for all of

them.

Bandung, April 2011

Author

CONTENT

PREFACE..............................................................

...........................i

Content.................................................................

.............................ii

Chapter I

Introduction..........................................................

..........1

A.Background of

Research.................................................1

B.Problems....................................................

........................1

Chapter II

Analysis................................................................

..........2

A.Figurative

Language...................................................

......2

B.Paradox, Irony, and

Satire...............................................3

Chapter III

Conclusion............................................................

.....14

Bibliography.........................................................

...........................15

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of Research

As a literature student, analyzing literary works becomes

common thing. Literary activity is an act that must be

done. Especially in analyzing. We could analyze literary

work based on its elements. One of elements is figurative

language. Figurative language could we call as one of the

important sense in literary works. It is because figurative

language has much impact or special effect in works. The

author sometimes intentionally use it to make the

readers impressed after read it. Therefore, analysis of

figurative language becomes important. By analyzing it,

we would know what the statements mean and what the

purpose of using it.

There are so many figurative language included in

Twain’s work ‘Cannibalism in the Cars’. At least there

are three figurative language that being dominan. Those

are paradox, irony, and satire. Each of them has own

meaning and intend. So, we will analyze it to know what

it means. And it is also useful to know more about it

especially for literature students.

B. Problems

1. What is figurative language?

2. How the analysis of paradox in Cannibalism in the

Cars?

3. How the analysis of irony in Cannibalism in the Cars?

4. How the analysis of satire in Cannibalism in the Cars?

CHAPTER II

ANALYSIS OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: FOCUS ON

PARADOX, IRONY, AND SATIRE IN CANNIBALISM IN

THE CARS BY MARK TWAIN

1. Figurative Language

Sometimes we ask ourselves about why there is

figurative language and the importance of it in literature.

What is the role of figurative language and what is the

purpose of an author uses it in his or her works. Whether

it will give another sense of meaning in the work or not,

we will know later. Those are common questions which

are always coming in our brain. That is why figurative

language is also a part of some literary elements that

inappropriate to be discussed.

According to Abrams, figurative language is a conspicuous departure from what users of a language apprehend as the standard meaning of words, or else the standard order of words, in order to achieve some special meaning or effect. Figures are sometimes described as primarily poetic, but they are integral to the functioning of language and indispensable to all modes of discourse (Abrams, 1999: 96).

Abrams explain in his book, A Glossary of Literary Terms,

that the existence of figurative language is to achieve

some special meaning or effect. That is meant that if it is

compared with the sentence which is not figurative

language, it will be flat sentence. It has a meaning but

did not make an effect to a reader. Sometimes, there are

a lot of figurative languages in poetry. But there is some

author who uses figurative language in his or her prose.

In other words we can conclude that figurative language

is more widely used in the writing of literature.

Such as Mark Twain’s work ‘Cannibalism in the Cars’,

there are various kinds of figurative language. Mark is

known as one of author that has a great skill to arrange

the words become more interesting to read. One of the

reasons why using figurative language becomes

important is to make the readers have an impression

while reading.

In this case, we will analyze some of those figurative

languages with focused to Paradox, Irony, and Satire. In

the next explanation about those, we would know the

differences among those each others and knowing the

function.

2. Paradox

There are many literary books that explain about the

definition of paradox. According to Peter and Fowler in

their book of ‘The Rutledge Dictionary of Literary Terms’,

paradox is an apparently self-contradictory statement,

though one which is essentially true (Peter Child & Roger

Fowler, 1973: 166). It means that in paradox statement,

there must be two things or more in which those are

contradictory meaning each others. Abrams adds the

description of paradox as a statement which seems on its

face to be logically contradictory or absurd, yet turns out

to be interpretable in a way that makes good sense

(Abrams, 1999: 201). According to him, its contradictory

lies in logic but it is interpretable as a good sense.

Sometime, there are some people who still have the

difficulties in analyzing the paradox. Something that they

doubt is to determine the part of contradictory. Whether

it is contradicted as logically mind or it is contradicted in

real condition of the story? That is thing which should be

explained clearly.

Let we see the example of Cannibalism in the Cars, at

least there are some statements which is contain the

element of paradox. Those are;

Paragraph 7 line 14;

“Cheerfulness gave place to grave concern.”

If we see, there are two words that logically

contradictory meaning. The word ‘Cheerfulness’ is

usually associated to happiness, party, or something that

could make us laugh. But in that sentence, it is compared

with word ‘grave’ in which has related meaning as a

sorrow, pain, sadness, etc. Trough that sentence, Twain

want to describe the condition which is truly happen is

fear and anxiety in which they are imprisoned in the

snow storm.

From those explanation we know that the contradictory

meaning in paradox could be analyzed from two sides;

first, it is seen from the real meaning of two words that

really contradictory logically without connect it to the

story. Second, we see from the truth of a story. Though

paradox shows the contradictory two things, but one of

them is conditionally true.

To make our understanding up, let’s we see sample of

paradox. In paragraph 8 line 10, “It was a weird picture,

that small company of frantic man fighting the banking

snow...”

The words ‘frantic man’ and ‘fighting’ are logically

contradictory. ‘Frantic men’ is a group of men who scare

of something. And ‘Fighting’ is an act of struggling

something by quarrel or attack somebody. From both of

definition, we realize that logically it is impossible that

frantic men fight. Usually, a man who scares will not be

able to fight. He or she will cry, shuddered, or hide. And

from the real meaning, we see that a small company is

not afraid to fight the banking snow which is fall down on

and on.

The other example is paragraph 13 line 18, “A night of

restless slumber, filled with the dreams of feasting-

waking distressed with the gnawing of hunger.”

From this sentence, there are at least three phrases that

show the contradictory. It is preceded by phrase,

‘Restless slumber’ and ‘Dream of feasting’ which is

clearly contradicted. As usual, logically restless slumber

is a condition where a person could not sleep comfortably

and calmly. And it is so impossible if in that condition a

person could dream about feasting or party. And also

‘feasting’ also contradict with ‘gnawing of hunger’ in

which feasting is a condition with joyfulness, and full of

foods. But in the story explain that they are (a group of

man) hunger. As a fact that truly condition is they are

hunger.

And this is still same in paradox, paragraph 43 line 3,

“With all his gentleness of manner and his soft voice, I

shuddered whenever he turns his hungry eye upon me...”

There is phrase ‘soft voice’ and word ‘shuddered’ which

is also have the contradictory each others. Those

contradict in meaning logically. Usually, ‘soft voice’ will

make the listener feel relax. But character ‘I’ shuddered

listen his voice.

Then, in paragraph 46 or last paragraph there is a piece

of statement that classified to paradox. “...I had only

been listening to the harmless vagaries of madman

instead of the genuine experiences of a bloodthirsty

cannibal.” More and more, clearly we could see two

words that really contradict each other and so absurd. In

which logically ‘madman’ is always being ridiculous and

terrifying. But in the other side it is called ‘harmless’.

The words that so opposite and have a contrast meaning.

Abrams explained that paradox was a prominent concern

of many New Critics, who extended the term from its

limited application to a type of figurative language so as

to make it encompass all surprising deviations from, or

qualifications of, common perceptions or commonplace

opinions (Abrams, 1999: 202). It means that the overview

of paradox could be categorized by three aspects. First is

a qualification. It will make paradox statement from the

deviation of qualification of word. Second is common

perception. It is the way to analyze that paradox words

through common perception. Every people has different

analysis about something, but logically most of them

always have same perception if examine the things that

universal. And third is commonplace opinion. Almost

same with common perception, commonplace opinion is

also used to give an analysis of paradox statement

universally logically same. Other example is ‘I burn and

freeze’. All of us agree that nothing burning caused

freeze.

3. Irony

Irony is one of figurative language that shows something

different from what actually happened. Generally, it

could call same with paradox that show the contradictory

of something. Irony is a mode of discourse for conveying

meanings different from, and usually opposite to, the

professed or ostensible ones. There are several kinds of

irony, though they fall into two main categories:

situational and verbal (Peter Child & Roger Fowler,

1973: 123). Abrams added that verbal irony is a

statement in which the meaning that a speaker implies

differs sharply from the meaning that is ostensibly

expressed (Abrams, 1999: 134).

From those definitions about irony I myself argue that

irony shows the contradictory of situational and it is said

with verbal contradictory also. But it is not like paradox,

the contradiction is not indicated by two or more words

as a sign of contradictory. Contradictory in irony covers

whole of story. It means that we have to read overall the

story so that we know the real meaning that is truly

uttered. Peter said that all irony, however, depends for

its effectiveness on the belief in and exploitation of the

difference and distance between words or events and

their contexts.

Let’s we see the example of irony in some part of

Cannibalism in the Cars narration. In paragraph 39 line

7, “That I know was the cheeriest hour of my eventful

life.” In this part, the stranger narrator said a word

‘cheeriest’ but actually the situation is inversely

proportional to the spoken. The real situation at that time

is distress, dreadful, and hunger. It is so far from the

meaning of ‘cheeriest’. That is the irony.

And in the next paragraph 42 line 2, “Ah it was like a

novel sir – it was like a romance.” In this part, the fact is

the overall condition of the story is full of tense and

terrifying. The meaning is so different with what have

said ‘like a novel, like a romance.’ It is because the word

‘romance’, usually connected with happiness,

peacefulness, and so on.

And for the last irony in paragraph 43 line 7, “...my heart

fairly stood still!” Actually ‘I’, he has been boring to listen

the stranger’s story. He feels not comfort with the

stranger narrator but he keeps the silent over time. So,

may be this is what Peter meant that irony is divided into

two; situational and verbal. It is involved to situational

irony in which it is known by the narrative of the story,

not from the dialogue. The figure does not tell you

directly but by a narrative. Thus, it could be called

situational because the contradiction of situation is

revealed by narrative.

Typically, this is the form situational irony takes in plays, where narrators, concealed or otherwise, are more difficult to employ; hence the term dramatic irony. Here the eiron is replaced by members of the audience who have been apprised of a character’s real situation before he knows it himself, and who can therefore anticipate and enjoy the frustration of the ideal by the actual (Peter Child & Roger Fowler, 1973: 123).

Abrams adds, the ironic statement usually involves the

explicit expression of one attitude or evaluation, but with

indications in the overall speech-situation that the

speaker intends a very different, and often opposite,

attitude or evaluation (Abrams, 1999: 135). Irony could

be classified as contextual expression. As I said that to

understand what the speaker said in irony, we should

read whole the story and we may know the context of it.

Different with paradox, we could analyze it from explicit

expression. It means that there are signs of paradox in

the statement. Paradox used to use two words or more to

indicate the sense of paradox. So, though we did not

know the whole story, we would know that is paradox by

just reading one statement. It is also called textual side.

And those are the differences between paradox and

irony.

4. Satire

Besides paradox and irony, there is other figurative

language in this story. That is satire. Refer to Concise

Oxford English Dictionary, satire is the use of humor,

irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize

people's stupidity or vices. In figurative language, satire

always uses to ridicule something contextually. It means

that satire contents of ridiculous to outside story.

Usually, it has connected with historical allusion of the

story.

Satire can be described as the literary art of diminishing or derogating a subject by making it ridiculous and evoking toward it attitudes of amusement, contempt, scorn, or indignation. It differs from the comic in that comedy evokes laughter mainly as an end in itself, while satire derides; that is, it uses laughter as a weapon, and against a butt that exists outside the work itself (Abrams, 1999: 275).

In the explanation, satire always is same by humor. But

actually there is the differentiation between satire and

humor. What distinguishes satire from comedy is its lack

of tolerance for folly or human imperfection. Its attempt

to juxtapose the actual with the ideal lifts it above mere

invective (Peter Child & Roger Fowler, 1973: 211). So,

intend of satire is the author attacks some object, using

as his means wit or humor that is either fantastic or

absurd.

Let’s we analyze the example of satire in this story. In

paragraph 23 line 1, “MR. A. L. BASCOM of Ohio: I move

that the nomination now close and the House proceed to

an election by ballot.” That underlined word shows the

insinuation to the Congress. May be the author want to

mock the selection’s style made by the congress which is

not always conducive at that time? It may be, but we

never know clearly. Therefore, it is necessary to know

the historical allusion to reveal this satire. Allusion is a

passing reference, without explicit identification, to a

literary or historical person, place, or event, or to

another literary work or passage (Abrams, 1999: 9).

Normally, if we become a reader and try to understand

intend of satire is to mock something. Then if there is an

analysis of satire, there is always allusion that supports

it. Allusion used as a reason why the author mocks

something in his or her works. Undoubtedly there is a

reason why the author does it. Abrams asserted in his

book, since allusions are not explicitly identified, they

imply a fund of knowledge that is shared by an author

and the audience for whom the author writes. Most

literary allusions are intended to be recognized by the

generally educated readers of the author's time, but

some are aimed at a special coterie (Abrams, 1999: 10).

Those are about allusion, and next is paragraph 24 line 3,

“...I must beg to move that they be dropped at once, and

that we elect a chairman of the meeting and proper

officers to assist him, and that we can go on with the

business before us understandingly.” Once again, this is

may be a satire to the congress which is acts without

procedure.

For the last, paragraph 31 lines 2, “...I move to amend it

by substituting for the name of Mr. Herman that of Mr.

Lucius Harris of St. Louis, who is well and honorably

known to us.” According to me, this part is a satire on the

characteristic of Americans who really looked at someone

on the basis of castle and degree. It is a stereotype of

American.

Some modern authors, including Joyce, Pound, and Eliot, include allusions that are very specialized, or else drawn from the author's private reading and experience, in the awareness that few if any readers will recognize them prior to the detective work of scholarly annotators. The current term inter-textual includes literary echoes and allusions as one of the many ways in which any text is interlinked with other texts (Abrams, 1999: 10).

The reason of why I analyze the satire in paragraph 31 is

because I remember the history of the American solve

the problems of racial equality of black and white.

Racialism becomes very difficult to resolve, this is what

makes me speculate that most of mindset American in

judging a person is based on the degree and honor. This

could be categorized as historical allusion. That’s why,

satire always associated with allusion, although it is

historical, biblical, or mythical.

To gain the function of satire, yet again, writers may use

a variety of devices: caricature, exaggeration, parallelism

or parody, to achieve similar ends (Peter Child & Roger

Fowler, 1973: 211).

Overall, the existence of figurative language is to

establish the meaning of words to give some effects and

more striking to reader. Figurative language is also one

way to realize the author’s thoughts through works he or

she had written.

CHAPTER III

CONCLUSION

After we analyze the figurative language in Cannibalism in

the Cars by Mark Twain, we found three figurative

languages. There are paradox, irony, and satire. Generally

paredox and irony is included to one type, that is contrary

figurative language. But both of them also has the

difference. While, satire is figurative language that used to

use to satirize something that connected with the context.

In this Mark’s work, those figurative language use to make

a good sense also make own special effect. Figurative

language becomes important because if there is not

figurative language, a work would become flat and it is not

impressed at all.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abrams, M.H. 1999. A Glossary of Literary Terms. United

Sates of America: Earl McPeek

Child, Peter & Roger Fowler. 1973. A Routledge Dictionary

of Literary Terms. United States of America: Routledge

Payne, Michael & Jessica R. Barbera. 1996. A Dictionary of

Cultural and Critical Theory. United States of America:

Wiley-Blackwell