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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


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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 c
 






 

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!"
 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


   


PREFACE........................................................... ..............................i

Content................................................................ ..............................ii

Chapter I Introduction.............................................................. ......1

A. YBackground of Research.................................................1
B. YProblems............................................................................1
Chapter II Analysis..........................................................................2
A. YFigurative Language.........................................................2
B. YParadox, Irony, and Satire...............................................3

Chapter III Conclusion................................................. ................14

Bibliography....................................................................................15







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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?


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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, c #
 
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 explanat ion about those, we
would know the differences among those each others and knowing the
function.

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There are many literary books that explain about the definition of paradox.
According to Peter and Fowler in their book of ¶ $ 
 % 
 
 
 & 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;

† gave place to

 concern.µ

If we see, there are two words that logically contradictory meaning. The
word ¶ · is usually associated to happiness, party, or something
that could make us laugh. But in that sentence, it is compared with word
¶

· 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 



 
the banking snow...µ

The words ¶

· and ¶

 
· are logically contradictory. ¶ 
 · is
a group of men who scare of something. And ¶ 
 
· 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  filled
with the 

 
-waking distressed with the

"

.µ

From this sentence, there are at least three phrases that show the
contradictory. It is preceded by phrase, ¶$ · and '%

 
&
which is clearly contradicted. As usual, logically  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 
 
or party.
And also '
 
· also contradict with '

"

· in which 
 
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   , I  whenever he turns his
hungry eye upon me...µ

There is phrase ¶  · and word ¶& 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 
 vagaries of


instead of the genuine experiences of a bloodthirsty cannibal.µ
More and more, clearly we could see two words that really contradict each
other and so absurd. In which logically ¶

· is always being ridiculous
and terrifying. But in the other side it is called ¶
·. 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.

[!(&*

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.µ In this part, the stranger narrator said a word ¶ · 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 ¶ ·. That is the irony.
And in the next paragraph 42 line 2, †Ah it was like a novel sir ² it was like
a romance.µ 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 ¶
·, usually connected
with happiness, peacefulness, and so on.

And for the last irony in paragraph 43 line 7, †...my heart fairly stood still!µ
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  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.

r"#!%

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 @ ( 
     
 .µ 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 " 


  


(( 
  and that we can go on with the business before
us understandingly.µ 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""

  
 ! "   )µ 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.
 c


 
 

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.

 
 

c

Abrams, M.H. 1999. c#
 
) United Sates of America: Earl
McPeek

Child, Peter & Roger Fowler. 1973. c $ 

 % 
   
 .
United States of America: Routledge

Payne, Michael & Jessica R. Barbera. 1996. c % 
  

  

) United States of America: Wiley-Blackwell