ECHOIC RHETORIC OF IRONY AND REVERSAL OF DESIRE IN “THE ULTIMATE SAFARI” BY NADINE GORDIMER

Abstract

This research is aimed at investigating the role of irony and reversal of desire in Nadine Gordimer’s short story titled “The Ultimate Safari”. An ironically rhetoric title of the story “The Ultimate Safari” suggests the opposing dynamics between the title and the story. The use of irony is echoic in the narrative and suggestive in the progression of the story as it stands out in the end. Since irony and its role in postmodern writing is challenging, it foreshadows the reversal in the story. By relating the ideas of Relevance Theory, this particular research has explored the implicit meanings in “The Ultimate Safari” by tracing the ironic instances in the narrative which lead towards the reversal of desire. By building upon images, metaphors and ironical language, it has discovered that irony generates desires but these desires are meant to be unfulfilled. It has explained the rising of expectations and their reversed and changed reality. This research is concluded by highlighting the ironic opposition and reversal of expectations that unravel the façade of ironical rhetoric in the story.