| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | 第6-7页 |
| ABSTRACT | 第7页 |
| 摘要 | 第8-10页 |
| CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION | 第10-15页 |
| 1.1 V.S. Naipaul and His Literary Creation | 第10-13页 |
| 1.2 In a Free State and Structure of the Thesis | 第13-15页 |
| CHAPTERⅡLITERATURE REVIEW | 第15-21页 |
| 2.1 Studies Abroad | 第15-18页 |
| 2.2 Studies at Home | 第18-21页 |
| CHAPTER Ⅲ THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK | 第21-28页 |
| 3.1 The Concept of Irony and Its Development | 第21-24页 |
| 3.2 The Classification and Function of Irony | 第24-28页 |
| 3.2.1 Verbal Irony and Its Pragmatic Function | 第24-26页 |
| 3.2.2 Situational Irony and Its Distance Function | 第26-27页 |
| 3.2.3 Structual Irony and Its Tensive Function | 第27-28页 |
| CHAPTER Ⅳ IRONIES IN IN A FREE STATE AND THEIR FUNCTIONS | 第28-57页 |
| 4.1 Verbal Irony in Characterization | 第28-36页 |
| 4.1.1 Tramp as an Eccentric and Solitary Man | 第28-31页 |
| 4.1.2 The Colonizers as Hypocritical Racists | 第31-36页 |
| 4.2 Situational Irony in Development of the Plot | 第36-49页 |
| 4.2.1 Tragedy of Santosh: Irony to“A Free Man” | 第37-40页 |
| 4.2.2 Invisible Killer: The Disillusion of the Dream | 第40-45页 |
| 4.2.3 The Colonizer in the Third World: The Loss of Priority | 第45-49页 |
| 4.3 Structural Irony in Thematic Presentation | 第49-57页 |
| 4.3.1 The Use of Structure Irony and Its Tensive Function | 第49-53页 |
| 4.3.2 The Smililar Theme in Thematic Presentation | 第53-57页 |
| CHAPTER ⅤCONCLUSION | 第57-59页 |
| WORKS CITED | 第59-63页 |
