Humor and literature

Question 1

Postmodern literature

Answer 1

challenges traditional boundaries between different forms of art and literature. It does not discriminate between “high” and “low” forms of art and literature, and it blurs the distinctions between different writing styles and genres.

Question 2

Elements of postmodernism: Pastiche

Answer 2

Creating new styles by combining ideas from previous writings and literary styles.

Question 3

Elements of postmodernism: Intertextuality

Answer 3

The acknowledgment of previous literary works within another literary work. (the relationship between different texts, where one text refers to, quotes, or alludes to another text. It’s the way in which texts are interconnected and influenced by each other.)

Question 4

Elements of postmodernism: Metafiction

Answer 4

the act of writing about writing or making readers aware of the fictional nature of the very fiction they’re reading.

Question 5

Elements of postmodernism: Temporal distortion

Answer 5

the use of non-linear timelines and narrative techniques in a story. It involves presenting events out of order or using flashbacks and other techniques to disrupt the chronological sequence of the story.

Question 6

Elements of Postmodernism: Minimalism

Answer 6

The use of characters and events which are decidedly common and non-exceptional characters.

Question 7

Elements of Postmodernism: Maximalism

Answer 7

Disorganized, lengthy, highly detailed writing.

Question 8

Elements of Postmodernism: Magical Realism

Answer 8

The introduction of impossible or unrealistic events into a narrative that is otherwise realistic.

Question 9

elements of postmodernism: Faction

Answer 9

The mixing of actual historical events with fictional events without clearly defining what is factual and what is fictional.

Question 10

Elements of Postmodernism: Reader involvement

Answer 10

Often through direct address to the reader and the open acknowledgment of the fictional nature of the events being described.

Question 11

J.D. Salinger’s short story A Perfect Day for Bananafish

Answer 11

the story is set in 1948 in Florida.
The story takes place three years after World War II.

Question 12

Bananafish meaning

Answer 12

Bananafish is a made-up fish that eats too many bananas in coral reefs and rocks, and dies because it can’t swim back out.

Question 13

As a symbol

Answer 13

the Bananafish is a symbol of those who are trapped in a corrupt world and cannot escape. When these individuals reach their breaking point, there is no way out except through death.

Question 14

Seymour view of the world

Answer 14

Seymour sees the world as divided between materialism and superficiality, represented by his wife, and simplicity and innocence, represented by Sybil. He rejects the former and seeks to connect with the latter.

Question 15

Comedy

Answer 15

Comedy originally comes from the Greek words “revel” and “singing.” Aristotle defined comedy as an imitation of people who are inferior to the standard. In ancient Greece, comedy referred specifically to plays with happy endings, while in the Middle Ages, it included narrative poems with happy endings. Over time, the term “comedy” has become synonymous with humor in general, and also with satire.

Question 16

Relief Theory

Answer 16

first introduced by Lord Shaftesbury in 1709, where he suggested that laughter relieves pent-up nervous energy by releasing animal spirits that have built up pressure inside the nerves. While the biological explanation has been revised over time, the idea that humor provides a release from tension and stress has remained a central component of the theory.

Question 17

Humor as a Literary Tool

Answer 17

Humor is a literary technique that aims to induce laughter and amusement in readers. By breaking up monotony and tension, humor helps readers relax. Writers use various techniques, such as unique words and sentences, to uncover the funny and amusing aspects of life.

Question 18

The result of the integration between Humor and the story.

Answer 18

can create black humor, which adds an element of comedy to taboo or serious subjects. Black humor is often used to explore grim issues and provoke serious thoughts in readers, while at the same time making serious events less intense. It is often associated with tragedies and can be paralleled with tragic absurdity.