On the comedy spirit of Bakhtin's carnival theory

Paper Keywords: carnival comedy spirit comedy thinking

Bakhtin, rooted in the humorous culture of the Middle Ages and the carnival theory of rabelais's creative practice, contains rich comic aesthetic thoughts, puts forward many novel and original opinions, grasps the essence and essence of the comic spirit, and makes? Carnival? It has become a major feature of comedy, which embodies a comic spirit and has a strong sense of comedy. He's interested in carnival? Laugh? The dual thinking and interpretation of comedy is philosophical and constructive, which is helpful for us to comprehensively and dialectically understand and grasp the essence and aesthetic function of comedy. The relativity thought embodied in his carnival theory reveals the important characteristics of comedy thinking.

Bakhtin is praised by the world as a wizard of literary criticism. He wrote Dostoevsky's Poetics and Fran? ois? Rabelais elaborated the famous carnival theory in his works such as Folk Culture in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Although he claimed in the latter book that he was not going to bring it up? Broader general aesthetic problems, especially humorous aesthetic problems? . But in fact, his carnival theory and his study of rabelais contain rich comic aesthetic thoughts. American scholar John Ba Jin's book Humor Theorist in the 20th Century lists Bakhtin as one of the six humor theorists in the 20th century, along with Bergson and Freud. Soviet aesthetician Polev also pointed out:? Bakhtin, right? Revelry? The theoretical analysis of this situation is so excellent and thorough that although the author only examines one form of laughter, his judgment can include some important general aesthetic characteristics of happiness that no one has discovered before. . Bakhtin, right? Carnival laughter? The revelation of comedy complexity touches on the general theoretical problems of comedy aesthetics and puts forward many novel and original opinions.

First, the comedy spirit of carnival theory

1. The proposal of carnival theory

? Carnival? Theory is a poetic theory put forward by Bakhtin through the study of rabelais and medieval folk humor culture (laughter culture). Bakhtin observes a certain cultural phenomenon and literary phenomenon in a specific historical period from the perspective of the overall development of culture. This research method of cultural poetics provides a new theoretical horizon for us to understand and grasp comedy itself. In Bakhtin's view, what is literature? An inseparable part of the whole culture? , we? Without a complete cultural context, it is impossible to study literature. Literature cannot be divorced from other cultures, nor can it be directly linked with other factors such as society and economy (cross-culture). These factors act on the whole culture, and only through culture and together with culture can they act on literature. Ff[I](Pd03) is based on this. He is rooted in medieval humorous culture and carnival theory of rabelais's creative practice, avoiding the bias of formalism and vulgar sociology, and truly grasping the essence and essence of comedy. Based on the study of cultural poetics, Bakhtin linked the specific comedy object with the folk humor culture that nurtured and nourished it, and thought about the problem from the origin of the development of human culture, thus seeing what other research methods concealed and revealing carnival. Important and profound ideological connotation and world outlook connotation? Does he think carnival is a festival? Should we understand from the highest purpose of human existence, that is, from the ideal? . [z](PIO from this point of view, his carnival theory embodies a very strong sense of freedom, equality and public awareness.

2. The essence of carnival comedy

Bakhtin believes that Dostoevsky and rabelais's works absorbed the comic features of carnival and folk humor culture in the Middle Ages, which made them? Carnival? It has become an important comedy feature, and it also embodies a comedy spirit with a strong sense of comedy. Bakhtin deeply studied the folk sources in rabelais and found the key to rabelais's creation treasure house. Bakhtin believes that folk humor culture is an endless destructive and regenerative force. Here is the people's laughter and the people's laughter. Laughter is the life of folk humor; Laughter itself means intimacy, which can eliminate seriousness, rigidity and rigidity, narrow the distance, cancel the concept of hierarchy and promote equal communication between people; Bakhtin pointed out that carnival laughter is universal, all-encompassing and double, and especially emphasized its remarkable characteristics. An important connection inseparable from freedom? . [z]& lt； PIO3？ This really captures the essence of comedy consciousness quite profoundly. As an aesthetic consciousness, the emergence, development and evolution of comedy consciousness are closely related to people's pursuit of freedom and equality. It can also be said that the core and spiritual essence of comedy consciousness is the yearning and pursuit of freedom and equality.

In addition, Bakhtin's thinking and interpretation of the duality of carnival laughter has philosophical depth and is quite positive and constructive, which is helpful for us to comprehensively and dialectically understand and grasp the essence and aesthetic function of comedy. In Bakhtin's view, it is so difficult to analyze the real comedy, because the negative factors and positive factors in comedy are inseparable, and it is difficult to draw a line between them. ff[3]& lt； P6 1？ He found in many phenomena of folk humor culture? Dialectics of image form? , pointing out strange things, It's essentially double? The laughter of the carnival is also twofold:? Not only joy and excitement, but also cynicism and cynicism. There are both positive and negative, both buried and reborn. M[2](P 14), Bakhtin saw the endless incompleteness of human social life from the perspective of the big concept of time and space and the overall cultural development. Therefore, he pays special attention to what the folk humor culture embodies. Cosmic renewal? Spirit, think that this kind of double carnival laughter has the ability to destroy everything and change everything? Liberation? And then what? Regenerative power? Can you create life through regeneration? More perfect , and thus beneficial to? Human rejuvenation? 、? Cultural revival? . [2]& lt； P472-473)0 In my opinion, this comedy concept, which has risen to the height of the overall development of mankind and the level of philosophical cosmology, has a very optimistic color and a very positive significance. It enlightens us that comedy is rooted in the natural law of metabolism and comes from the contradictory movement of human life development. Everything in the world has to go through a process from birth to decline. After a thing is perfect and mature, it will tend to be static, rigid and outdated. The old things provide the soil and conditions to nourish and nurture the new things, and the new things are born in the demise of the old things. The comedy factor is deeply contained in the endless alternation between the old and the new, and it is always in an unfinished state. Judging from the duality of carnival laughter, negation and affirmation, the aesthetic function of comedy should be both deconstruction and construction. Deconstruction is the means and construction is the purpose. Only when we constantly break through and bring forth the new, and death and rebirth are constantly replaced and updated, nature and human society will always be full of vitality. The sense of comedy based on this is really positive and constructive.

3. Carnival comedy spirit

The spirit of comedy is not only a view of literature and art, but also a world outlook with rich connotations:

As a world view, comedy spirit is a combination of contempt and superiority. The former refers to the subject's contempt for all foreign factors that suppress individual vitality, such as cultural hegemony, colonial ideology, power discourse, hierarchy, private ideas, civilized preaching, Taoist taboos, etc. The latter refers to the inherent superiority of the subject's self-affirmation of self-mind, conscience and survival value. The spirit of comedy advocates the free and happy state of gamification.

Comedy spirit, as a literary concept, refers to an artistic concept in which creators and receivers infiltrate comedy world outlook into the creation and acceptance of literary works. Every era will have a dominant hegemonic ideology. Those who have the right to make social game rules but don't necessarily abide by them always suppress most people who have no right to make and change game rules, so that those who are outside the power system and on the edge will either become? The silent majority? (Wang Xiaobo), or use power words? * * *,? (Sartre), fawning on power, speaking in a tone of power, losing conscience and becoming powerful? Lack of running dogs? . But besides these two kinds, there are two kinds of mental states. One is? Laugh at yourself? , directly linked with power discourse and hierarchy; There is also a group of people who, under the false appearance of superficial obedience, hide a strong impulse to resist power and challenge authority, despise moral preaching and have a strong hatred for hierarchy and private ideas, and often parasitize in the mainstream ideology to form an internal subversive force to escape the punishment and revenge of closely monitored networks. The latter two mental states are the basis of comedy spirit. That is to say, the spirit of comedy comes from outside the self? Another one? The will of the people and the attempt of hierarchical society to emphasize integrity are absolutely unwilling to cooperate, and the spirit of comedy must be based on individual independent and rich subjective consciousness, that is, personal ideology.

Second, the comedy connotation of carnival theory

Lu Xun said comedy? Tear that worthless thing to others? It means that the subject will not be confused by the appearance of things, but can make fun of everything that is about to lose its rationality. Even if it causes a huge and devastating tragedy in reality, people with comedy spirit will not be intimidated by it, but can treat it with contempt. Nietzsche said that the peak of life is? Laugh at all tragedies? Because? Generally speaking, the short-lived tragedy will return to the eternal comedy sooner or later, and countless waves of laughter will eventually smooth out the biggest tragedy. ? This is promoting the subject's eternal sense of self-superiority.

The subject transcends the limited time and space that the individual can witness, and sees the fate of irrational things in advance, thus maintaining the unyielding inner superiority of the subject spirit. Is this what Marx said? With the continuous progress of history, it takes many stages to send old life forms to the grave. The final stage of the world historical form is comedy. Why is history like this? This is for mankind to bid farewell to the past happily. ff[3]CP603)

Carnival, as a comedy category, has the following connotations:

1. Rooted in folk humor culture, look at the world with carnival eyes. This humorous factor? It shows a completely different view, emphasizing the unofficial, non-church, non-national world outlook and the relationship between people? [2](P6)f What does it emphasize? Look at it backwards? Looking at the world from this angle, we can see many things that we couldn't see in the past. Meanwhile, what is carnival? Corresponding to official festivals, carnival seems to be a celebration of temporarily getting rid of the dominant truth and the existing system, and celebrating the temporary cancellation of all hierarchical relations, privileges, norms and prohibitions? . [2]CP 1 10) shows an atmosphere of equality and democracy temporarily in the carnival, which is not felt in the non-carnival atmosphere, but equality and democracy are people's innate pursuit goals and the inevitable trend of human development.

2. Everyone's national character. In the carnival, everyone is a participant. Carnival participants form a whole in a unique way, temporarily separated from all social, political, economic and other organizations, and in carnival during the period of suspension these organizations.

Life itself is integrated with performance. ? Carnival is not an art form of theatrical performance, but seems to be a realistic (but temporary) form of life itself. People not only perform this form, but also almost actually live like that (during the carnival). In short, at the carnival, life itself is performing, and performance temporarily becomes life itself. The special nature of carnival, the nature of its special existence lies in this? . Cz]ces) In this time and space where performance is life and life is performance, both real life and utopian life are reborn into a free and perfect ideal form.

4. Subject and object, the person who laughs and the person who is laughed constantly change places. Clowns and fools are fooled at the carnival, fooling others; They are both the subject of mocking others and the object of making people laugh. Their laughter is the laughter of the public and the laughter of the whole people; It is all-encompassing and laughs at all ridiculous things in the world; This kind of smile is twofold, joyful and excited, cynical, negative and positive, buried and reborn. This is a typical carnival smile.

5. Unique carnival language. ? Unique? Reverse? 、? And vice versa? 、? Inverted? Logic, continuous translocation up and down (such as? Wheels? ), the logic of constant translocation of face and ass, various forms of parody and funny adaptation, depravity, liquid reading, and muddy coronation and beheading are all representative carnival languages? . [2] (p13) In carnival language, daily taboos are broken, swearing words and cruel language are blurted out in interruption and ridicule, leading to? Demote? And then what? Demote? Tendency. So-called? Demote? And then what? Demote? Is it? Transfer all advanced, spiritual, ideal and abstract things to the inseparable material and material level of the whole, the earth and the body level? That is to say,? Shift the discussion to the field of emphasizing rough matter (eat drink man woman)? ，C2]cPZ4？ Degrade noble spiritual taste to the level of material lust and transfer people's ideological content to the human body? Sex? Interesting aspects. So, what people often say appeared? Swearing? 、? Yellow stories? 、? Dirty content? Wait a minute. The comic features of medieval literature revealed by Bakhtin are vividly reflected in rabelais's works.

Third, the carnival theory of comedy thinking

The relativity thought embodied in Bakhtin's carnival theory reveals the important characteristics of comedy thinking. Bakhtin thinks carnival laughter? It is all-encompassing. It is aimed at all things and people (including carnival participants). The whole world looks ridiculous. Can be felt and understood from the perspective of laughter and its ridiculous relativity? . [2] (p14, that is to say, everything in the world is relative and limited, with some self-denial factors, so from its relativity, it can be the object of laughter. Therefore, comedy thinking can't absolutize things, but observe things with relative eyes, so as to discover and reveal their ridiculous limitations.

Comedy thinking as a way from? Relativity? Angle implies that the thinking mode of internal contradictions of things is different from that of? Absolutely? Thinking is also different from? Relativism? Complex thinking. Comic thinking is a future-oriented thinking. It does not abandon reality, but it can transcend contradictions in reality. Therefore, it can look at things calmly in the historical development and changes. It not only reveals the absurd relativity and limitations of things, but also aims to expose their self-contradiction and internal contradiction. Through the contradictory movement of alternating old and new things, the old things of self-denial and self-destruction are naturally abandoned, and new things full of hope are bred and born. Where does comedy thinking come from? Relativity? From a new point of view, everything in the world is in the contradictory movement of alternating old and new, constantly developing and changing. So, what people face is not an absolute truth, but a bunch of opposite truths? . [4] (PS) Everything inevitably has its own limitations, so it inherently contains some self-denial factors, and when this internal contradiction is clearly revealed, it forms various? Discordant? When the comparison is made public, things often become ridiculous objects.

Profound comedy is rooted in the internal contradictions of things. The so-called carnival thinking is essentially comedy thinking, which is a way of thinking that reveals the contradictions and limitations of things from the perspective of relativity in the historical development and changes. Is it sacred, against authority, subverting autocracy and dissolving? The inevitability of inhumanity? In the carnival laughter, people can get physical and mental liberation and freedom of thought, return to themselves and rejuvenate the world. As Hegel said, comedy must be? Contradictions based on things themselves? , otherwise,? Comedy is superficial, but groundless? . Aristophanes's mockery of Socrates in the comedy Cloud also made Hegel? Admire? what's up Deep? Because of the author? Recognize the negativity of Socrates' dialectics and express it with such a powerful brush stroke? , enlightenment? Socrates provoked something completely opposite to his purpose in his moral efforts? , by its own contradictions constitute the comedy character. Therefore, how to capture the internal contradictions of things with keen eyes has become the key to comedy thinking. What does Bakhtin mean? Feel and understand from its ridiculous relativity? Thinking about things can be said to grasp the key of comedy thinking.