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As I Lay Dying: Comedy and Tragedy
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As I Lay Dying: Comedy, Tragedy, or both?
Definitions
a literary and particularly a dramatic presentation of serious actions in which the chief character has a disastrous fate.
There are many different kinds and theories of tragedy, starting with the Greeks and Aristole's definition in The Poetics, "the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself...with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions."
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/lit_term.html
a ludicrous and amusing event or series of events designed to provide enjoyment and produce smiles or laughter usually written in a light, familiar, bantering, or satirical style.
Comedy is the opposite of tragedy.
Dramatic comedy begins in difficulty and rapidly involves its characters in amusing situations and ends happily, but not all comedies are humorous and lighthearted.
It differs from burlesque and farce in that comedy has a more closely knit plot, more sensible and intelligent dialogue, and more plausible characterization.
Often comedy assures its desired effect by stressing some oddity or incongruity of character, speech, or action—perhaps by caricature or exaggeration.
Why is this important?
This is an important topic to study because it gives us insight into how we are supposed to take the Bundren family. As we study the elements of comedy and tragedy, we can see how Faulkner weaves his texts so that we can see both types of elements.
We can answer the following questions by examining the question of whether this novel is a comedy, tragedy, or both:
- How are we supposed to take the novel?
- Is the Bundren family an atrocity?
- Should we feel sad for the Bundren family?
- Informs our character studies
Examples
Example 1: Quote/Specific Reference
My interpretation
Example 2: Quote/Specific References
Examples 3: Quote/Specific References
Connections
Examples of Film
"O Brother, Where art Thou?
Examples of other Literature
Tobacco Road -- Caldwell
How does this connect to As I Lay Dying?
http://www.literaturepage.com/category/comedy.html
Other examples
How does this connect to As I Lay Dying?
Tragedy
Comedy
My interpreation
My interpretation
How does this connect?
Other films
How does this connect?
These are my conclusions:
This is how this topic fits into the whole book.
Examples of other connections