The book, written by the author in Russian, is the outcome of two decades of research in different fields of the Humanities and Cognitive Science, whose aim was an economic and consistent theoretical model of how verbal humor works. After an epistemic analysis of the famous theories of verbal humor (cf. Bergson, Freud, Pirandello, Raskin, Paulos and others), a synthesis is proposed, based mostly on a re-thinking of Pirandello’s main idea of “umorismo” ad an antirethoric reflection on the world and the human existence. As a main corpus of theoretical application are used the works by Sergej Dovlatov. Тhe Russian writer seems to be a perfect sample of the literary tradition of skeptical (horizontal) humor as opposed to the mocking (vertical) humor of jokes, parody and satire. Applying the theoretical model to Dovlatov’s works, a new interpretation of the writer’s poetics emerges. Based on empathy (horizontality), the “eversive” skeptical Dovlatovian humor acts as a de-programming trigger, while jokes are “conservative”, leading to a consolidation of binary Manichean oppositions and of vertical judgement. Dovlatov’s humoristic aesthetics thus overlapps with a genuine ethic approach to life and art, erasing any “ideology of truth”. His pirandellian humor reflects an internal state of toska whose origin is to be found in a cognitive suspention, in a “diasporic” desire for unknown objects of loss. In the last chapter of the book are explained the different strategies used in translating Dovlatov into Italian in respect for the properties of the literary source technique and for the aesthetic response by the target addressees.

MECHANIZMY JUMORA. O TVORCHESTVE SERGEJA DOVLATOVA

SALMON, LAURA
2008-01-01

Abstract

The book, written by the author in Russian, is the outcome of two decades of research in different fields of the Humanities and Cognitive Science, whose aim was an economic and consistent theoretical model of how verbal humor works. After an epistemic analysis of the famous theories of verbal humor (cf. Bergson, Freud, Pirandello, Raskin, Paulos and others), a synthesis is proposed, based mostly on a re-thinking of Pirandello’s main idea of “umorismo” ad an antirethoric reflection on the world and the human existence. As a main corpus of theoretical application are used the works by Sergej Dovlatov. Тhe Russian writer seems to be a perfect sample of the literary tradition of skeptical (horizontal) humor as opposed to the mocking (vertical) humor of jokes, parody and satire. Applying the theoretical model to Dovlatov’s works, a new interpretation of the writer’s poetics emerges. Based on empathy (horizontality), the “eversive” skeptical Dovlatovian humor acts as a de-programming trigger, while jokes are “conservative”, leading to a consolidation of binary Manichean oppositions and of vertical judgement. Dovlatov’s humoristic aesthetics thus overlapps with a genuine ethic approach to life and art, erasing any “ideology of truth”. His pirandellian humor reflects an internal state of toska whose origin is to be found in a cognitive suspention, in a “diasporic” desire for unknown objects of loss. In the last chapter of the book are explained the different strategies used in translating Dovlatov into Italian in respect for the properties of the literary source technique and for the aesthetic response by the target addressees.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11567/236223
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