Oxymoron in Victor Hugo’s Novel «The Man Who Laughs»: A Stylistic and Rhetorical Analysis

Authors

  • Balnur Kazhytay

    L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
  • Maktagul Orazbek

    L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
  • Aiman Zeinullina

    NJSC «Toraighyrov University», Pavlodar 140008, Kazakhstan
  • Веkеn Sagyndykuly

    NCAS «Pavlodar Pedagogical University Named after Alkey Margulan», Pavlodar 140008, Kazakhstan
  • Borash Ryskul

    NCAS «Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University», Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i6.9514
Received: 14 April 2025 | Revised: 22 May 2025 | Accepted: 30 May 2025 | Published Online: 5 June 2025

Abstract

This article examines the oxymoron as an expressive device actively employed by Victor Hugo in the novel «The Man Who Laughs». The study aims to identify the structural, semantic, and functional features of oxymoronic constructions found in the literary text. Special attention is paid to how semantically opposite elements are combined within a single utterance, forming a poetics of paradox typical of Romanticism. Based on analysis of specific passages from the novel, the research identifies lexical-morphological models of oxymorons and their role in creating emotional tension, vivid imagery, and philosophical depth. Oxymoron is considered not only as a stylistic figure, but also as a key component of the author's worldview, conveying the idea of the fusion of opposites in human fate. The material of the study is the Russian translation of the novel, compared with the original French text. The article applies methods of contextual and lingo-stylistic analysis, whose results confirm the significance of oxymorons in the compositional structure and ideological content of the work.

Keywords:

Oxymoron; Victor Hugo; The Man Who Laughs; Stylistics; Romanticism; Poetics of Paradox; Linguistic Analysis

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How to Cite

Kazhytay, B., Orazbek, M., Zeinullina, A., Sagyndykuly В., & Ryskul, B. (2025). Oxymoron in Victor Hugo’s Novel «The Man Who Laughs»: A Stylistic and Rhetorical Analysis. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(6), 376–388. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i6.9514

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 6 (July 2025)

Article Type

Review

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Copyright © 2025 Balnur Kazhytay, Maktagul Orazbek, Aiman Zeinullina, Векеп Sagyndykuly, Borash Ryskul

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.