Divine Irony

"This study argues that irony arises when an author or speaker assumes the divine perspective on human events, viewing them from the point of view enjoyed by the gods. The literary-critical evaluation of irony since the mid-twentieth century has concentrated on the attempt to "stabilize" irony and thereby restrict ironic interpretations of literary works. This attempt is part of a larger argument in literary studies over who controls the meaning of a literary work, the author or the reader/critic. Ultimately, irony appears to be a term with no definitive meaning, the product of a critical enterprise that over time identified particular literary devices and perspectives a irony."--BOOK JACKET.