Abstract:Pride and Prejudice is written by Jane Austin and is an essential literary work in European and world history of literature. The paper carries out an analysis of the irony occurring in conversations of Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of Cooperative Principle. The Cooperative Principle includes four maxims: Quality, Quantity, Relation, and Manner, which can be used to explain why and how our daily conversations can go on smoothly. However, sometimes, in some conversations those maxims are violated so as to attain certain purposes, for instance to cause irony in this case. The paper’s research shows that irony in novels can be the result of the Violation of the Cooperative Principle.

Key words：Pride and Prejudice， violation,  the Cooperative Principle

Contents

摘要

Abstract

Introduction.1

1.Four Maxims in the Cooperative Principle .2

2.Violations of the Cooperative Principle in Pride and Prejudice3

2.1 The Violation of the Maxim of Quality .3

2.2 The Violation of the Maxim of Quantity .5

2.3 The Violation of the Maxim of Relation 7

2.4 The Violation of the Maxim of Manner .8

Conclusion.9

Works Cited10

Bibliography.11

Acknowledgements .12