An examination of texts from classical Greece t o contemporary America reveals the remarkable capability of literature to transform the serious Humor 13-2 (2000), 109-140 0933-1719/00/0013-0109 © Walter de Gruyter 110 /. G. Daemmrich concept ofa remote mythological or sacred paradise into a series ofgames offering readers or spectators instant entertainment. This study traces five examples: games of amusement and diversion, pranks and jokes, Ironie interplays between anticipation and fulfillment, parodic games enlisting audience participation, and word plays that bridge the boundary traditionally sei between literature and other writing. By shifting the focus from the questfor eternal butpotentially unreachable bliss to immediatefun, these sophisticated games satisfy the longingfor a readily accessible paradisiacal experience. They also reinforce the goal of literature to promote itself äs an ever-evolving Eden, aperpetually entertaining "garden ofdelights." Introduction Laughter, observes the French poet Charles Baudelaire in bis 1868 essay, "On the Essence of Laughter," is "intimately linked with the occurrence of Siformer fall, ofa moral and physical degradation" (Baudelaire 1954: 712). At first glance, the illustrated limerick from The New Book of Konsense above would appear to support Baudelaire's assertion. Having disobeyed the divine command by eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve are
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From eternal bliss to instant fun: Literary game-playing with paradise as self-promotion
DAEMMRICH, INGRID G.
Follow Humor - International Journal of Humor Research
, Volume 13 (2)
de Gruyter – Jan 1, 2000
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