Full Article: PDF
Scientific Object Identifier: http://s-o-i.org/1.1/TAS-05-133-6
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15863/TAS.2024.05.133.6
Language: Russian
Citation: Dvoryashina, V. S. (2024). Humor as a stylistic dominant in John Steinbeck's “Russian journal”. ISJ Theoretical & Applied Science, 05 (133), 18-25. Soi: http://s-o-i.org/1.1/TAS-05-133-6 Doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.15863/TAS.2024.05.133.6 |
Pages: 18-25
Published: 30.05.2024
Abstract: The article examines humor as one of the striking stylistic features of the report on the trip of writer John Steinbeck and photographer Robert Kapa to the Soviet Union. It is noted that the techniques of speech comedy not only give an entertaining story about the stay of Americans in a country that was an ideological opponent of the United States during the Cold War, but also act as a means of evaluating what they saw, and also participate in the implementation of the strategy to which the author resorts to create an image of an American traveler. It is established that humorous assessments in the “Russian Journal” arise in two typical situations: firstly, humor acts as the most important characteristic of a simple person - the main object of the image in Steinbeck's work. In this case, the ability to produce humorous statements and perceive humor is interpreted by the author as an opportunity to achieve mutual understanding between peoples. In turn, the seriousness that permeates the entire social life of the country is considered by the traveler as a result of the influence of ideology, which becomes an indicator of lack of independence, stereotypical thinking in the conditions of the growing confrontation between the two systems. To demonstrate the absurdity of such a situation and express his negative attitude, the author of the “Russian Journal” actively uses the technique of comic playing off existing stereotypes.
Key words: humor, speech comedy, style, American, Americanism, stereotype.
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