Post-irony in literature refers to a return to sincerity after previously being ironic or sarcastic. It can also refer to works that were once ironic but are no longer perceived that way, or a moment where a character or author is both ironic and sincere. Examples include Hamlet’s speeches, the film The Graduate, and Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal.
In literature, post-irony generally refers to a return to sincerity when the author or character previously spoke ironically or sarcastically. Some types of post-irony literally refer to a change of heart on the part of an author or character. Other types of post-irony refer to previously written works that were ironic in their time but are no longer considered so. A third version of this literary device refers to a moment in which a character or author is both ironic and sincere. This latter use of this device is often done accidentally, as it is often difficult to combine sarcasm and sincerity on purpose without sounding contrived.
The first definition of post-irony, in which a character switches from sarcasm to sincerity in the blink of an eye, can be seen in many works of literature. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, for example, the title character sometimes becomes the mainstay of post-irony. After the appearance of the ghostly father, Hamlet’s speeches constantly wash between ironic digressions and very sincere and serious truths. This happens most often when he talks to his uncle Claudius or his mother, Gertrude. He answers their questions with sarcastic, often off-balance statements, and then emphasizes them with sincere and sinister ramblings to the audience.
The second definition of post-irony, when something previously ironic is no longer perceived that way, can be seen in older literary and cinematic works. In the film The Graduate, for example, the protagonist, Ben, is approached by one of his father’s friends. This elderly gentleman advises Ben to engage in plastic production. In 1967, when the film was made, this scene was considered ironic. Plastic wasn’t necessarily seen as a forward-thinking thing to invest in, and the result was uproarious laughter from the audience. Modern viewers of this film often see this scene as good advice as the production of plastic later became a large and profitable business.
The third version of post-irony, where it is confused with sincerity, is perhaps the hardest type to pinpoint. An example of this kind of post-irony can be evident in Jonathan Swift’s satire A Modest Proposal. This essay argues that if the Irish under English rule do not have enough resources to feed their children, they should eat them. Swift says this would solve overpopulation problems and the Irish would have an unlimited supply of food. Of course, this was an ironic essay because Swift didn’t intend for Irish families to engage in cannibalism. However, he intended to draw attention to a very serious problem: Irish families were starving and the British were doing nothing about it. This work of literature carefully blends sarcasm and sincerity so that the reader can see both sides of the issue at hand.
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