Forms and functions of Irony in selected Ateso folktales: a case study of Kaberamaido and Serere districts.

Abstract

This research deals with the analysis of irony, its forms and effectiveness in Ateso Folktales. It is majorly centering on how irony helps to bring effectively the message in the Ateso folktales. The forms of irony include verbal irony, situational irony and dramatic irony. Selected Ateso folktales are analyzed in order to show the effectiveness of irony in bringing out the message in the folktales. The study was carried out in Teso region particularly in the two districts that is Kaberamaido district, Kobululu sub-country, Ogobai village. Some data was also got in Serere district, Kateta sub-county in Kateta Moru Village. The data was majorly got through interviews, participations, observation and questionnaires. The participants involved elderly people and children. Tools like pen, book, and electronic gadgets like phone that helped in both recording the audio and video of the participants. The feedback from the study proved that irony plays effective and important role in bringing out message in the folktales. The study showed that irony acts as the sugar in sweetening the folktales hence enabling folktale to have an effective message to the audience. Though other literary devices like imagery, symbolism personification and others also help in bringing effectiveness in folktales, irony remains the outstanding technique in making the message in folktales effective to the targeted audience.