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Masallar Yoldan Çıkınca: Roald Dahl’ın Revolting Rhymes Eserinde Şiddetin Kara Mizahı

Year 2021, Volume: 38 Issue: 2, 522 - 531, 15.12.2021
https://doi.org/10.32600/huefd.889259

Abstract

Ortaya çıkışlarının ve yazıya geçirilmelerinin zamanına bağlı olarak, Avrupa masallarının tarzı, teması, karakterleri ve amacı, toplumda ve kültürde mevcut egemen ideoloji kavramlarını yansıtma eğilimindedirler. Bazen kasıtlı bazen de bilmeden benimsedikleri bu egemen söylem, masalların yeniden yazımını teşvik eden ideolojik ikilikler arasındaki yaygın eşitsizliği de destekler. Çağdaş yazarları masallardaki ideolojik ve ciddi tonu değiştirmek için yeniden yazıma iten de bu yaygın eşitsizliktir. Anlatımlarının cinsiyetçilik, yaşçılık, fiziksel engel ayrımcılığı, ırkçılık gibi ayrımcı söylemlere dayandığı bu kaynak metinleri çağdaş yazarlar belli söylemleri gözden geçirmek amacıyla baştan ele alırlar. İngiliz çocuk edebiyatının başlıca yazarlarından biri olan Roald Dahl, Revolting Rhymes adlı eserinde “Külkedisi,” “Jack ve Fasulye Sırığı,” “Pamuk Prenses,” “Altın Bukle ile Üç Ayı”... gibi geleneksel Avrupa masallarını mizah, şiddet ve komik bir dille harmanlayarak kendi genel çerçevesi içinde yeniden anlatır. Özellikle üstün ve güçsüz karakterler arasındaki haksızlığı gidermek için Dahl intikam güden ancak komik örneklerle masallardaki güç dengelerini bozar. Dahl için komiklik kavramı bu eserde dehşet verici şiddetin neşeli ve komik bir şekilde ele alınmasında yatar. Şiddet klasik Avrupa masallarının yerleşik bileşenlerinden biri olduğundan, yazar yeniden yazımlarında bu özelliği adaleti yeniden tesis etmek ve okuyucuları eğlendirmek için faillere karşı kullanır. Ek olarak, kullanılan dilin argo ifadeler ve komik bir kabalıkla yoğun bir şekilde işlenmiş olması da Dahl’ın masallara sağlamak istediği komik tiksindiriciliği yansıtır. Yazarın masalları tekrardan gözden geçirme girişiminde sadece karakterleri ve hikayeleri ele almakla kalmaz aynı zamanda mesajlarını daha beklenmedik, parodik ve isyankar bir hale sokarak altüst eder. Bu bağlamda bu makale, eserdeki şiddetin yarattığı şaşkınlık ve eğlenceyi irdelerken, Roald Dahl'ın klasik peri masallarını kara mizahla nasıl ve neden değiştirdiğini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır.

References

  • Bartu, C. M. (2014). Disenchanting patriarchal fairy tales through parody in Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories and Emma Donoghue’s Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins. [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Hacettepe University.
  • Bettleheim, B. (1976). The uses of disenchantment: The meaning and importance of fairy tales. New York: Vintage Books.
  • Critchley, S. (2002). On humour. London: Routledge.
  • Dahl, R. (1982). Revolting rhymes. London: Puffin Books.
  • David F. (2002). Keeping their parents happy: Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes. In N. J. Karolides (Ed.), Censored Books II: Critical Viewpoints, 1985-2000 (pp. 351–357). Lanham: Scarecrow Press.
  • Flegar, Z. (2015). The alluring nature of children’s culture: Fairy tales, the carnival and the world wide web. International Research in Children’s Literature, 8(2), 169-184. https://doi.org/10.3366/ircl.2015.0166
  • Green, J. (2005). Dahl, Roald. In N. J. Karolides (Ed.), The encyclopedia of censorship (pp. 168-169). New York: Facts On File.
  • Grimm, J., & Grimm, W. (2009). The complete fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. London: Wordsworth Library Collection.
  • Hallett, M., & Karasek, B. (2014). Fairy tales in popular culture. New York: Broadview Press.
  • Mallan, K. (1993). Laugh Lines: Exploring Humour in Children’s Literature. New South Wales: Primary English Teaching Association.
  • Murdoch, C. (2011). The Phoney and The Real: Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes as Anti-Tales. In C. McAra & D. Calvin (Eds.), Anti-Tales: The Uses of Disenchantment (pp. 164-172). Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
  • Stallcup, J. E. (2012). Discomfort and Delight: The Role of Humour in Roald Dahl’s Works for Children. In A. Alston & C. Butler (Eds.), Roald Dahl (pp.31-50). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Tatar, M. (1987). The Hard Facts of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales. New Jersey: Princeton.
  • Thacker, D.C. (2012) Fairy Tale and Anti-Fairy Tale: Roald Dahl and the Telling Power of Stories. In A. Alston & C. Butler (Eds.), Roald Dahl (pp.14-30). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Zipes, J. (2006). Fairy Tales and The Art of Subversion. New York: Routledge.

When Fairy Tales Go Astray: The Dark Humour of Violence in Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes

Year 2021, Volume: 38 Issue: 2, 522 - 531, 15.12.2021
https://doi.org/10.32600/huefd.889259

Abstract

Depending on the time of their invention and transcription, style, theme, characters, and aim of the European fairy tales tend to reflect the notions of the current dominant ideology in society and culture. Either unwittingly or intentionally, dominant discourse of fairy tales endorses the overall inequality between ideological binaries which urges the contemporary writers into taking interest in rewriting these traditional tales to change the ideological and the serious tone. These source texts, whose expressions are based on discriminatory discourses such as sexism, ageism, ableism and racism, are revised by the contemporary authors who minds to be politically correct. Roald Dahl, one of the most significant writers of British children’s literature, in his Revolting Rhymes retells the traditional fairy tales, such as “Cinderella,” “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “Snow White,” “Goldilocks”… by blending humour and his whimsical style within the overall frame of these tales. In order to eliminate the injustice, especially between strong and weaker characters, Dahl disrupts the balance of power in fairy tales with vindictive yet funny examples. In this work, the concept of funny for Dahl lies in handling of horrifying violence with lighthearted and hilarious manner. Since violence has been one of the entrenched constituents of classic European fairy tales, Dahl in his rewritings employs violence against the perpetrators to re-establish the justice and to amuse the readers. Moreover, the fact that he densely crafts the language with slang expressions and amusing coarseness reflects the hilariously revolting side of the fairy tales he aims to provide. In his attempt to deviate the tales, Dahl not only deals with the fairy tale characters and their stories, but also he subverts their messages into more unexpected, parodic and revolting conditions. In this light, this paper aims to analyse how and why Roald Dahl alters those classical fairy tales with dark humour while examining the laughter and amazement of violence to the readers.

References

  • Bartu, C. M. (2014). Disenchanting patriarchal fairy tales through parody in Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories and Emma Donoghue’s Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins. [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Hacettepe University.
  • Bettleheim, B. (1976). The uses of disenchantment: The meaning and importance of fairy tales. New York: Vintage Books.
  • Critchley, S. (2002). On humour. London: Routledge.
  • Dahl, R. (1982). Revolting rhymes. London: Puffin Books.
  • David F. (2002). Keeping their parents happy: Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes. In N. J. Karolides (Ed.), Censored Books II: Critical Viewpoints, 1985-2000 (pp. 351–357). Lanham: Scarecrow Press.
  • Flegar, Z. (2015). The alluring nature of children’s culture: Fairy tales, the carnival and the world wide web. International Research in Children’s Literature, 8(2), 169-184. https://doi.org/10.3366/ircl.2015.0166
  • Green, J. (2005). Dahl, Roald. In N. J. Karolides (Ed.), The encyclopedia of censorship (pp. 168-169). New York: Facts On File.
  • Grimm, J., & Grimm, W. (2009). The complete fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. London: Wordsworth Library Collection.
  • Hallett, M., & Karasek, B. (2014). Fairy tales in popular culture. New York: Broadview Press.
  • Mallan, K. (1993). Laugh Lines: Exploring Humour in Children’s Literature. New South Wales: Primary English Teaching Association.
  • Murdoch, C. (2011). The Phoney and The Real: Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes as Anti-Tales. In C. McAra & D. Calvin (Eds.), Anti-Tales: The Uses of Disenchantment (pp. 164-172). Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
  • Stallcup, J. E. (2012). Discomfort and Delight: The Role of Humour in Roald Dahl’s Works for Children. In A. Alston & C. Butler (Eds.), Roald Dahl (pp.31-50). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Tatar, M. (1987). The Hard Facts of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales. New Jersey: Princeton.
  • Thacker, D.C. (2012) Fairy Tale and Anti-Fairy Tale: Roald Dahl and the Telling Power of Stories. In A. Alston & C. Butler (Eds.), Roald Dahl (pp.14-30). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Zipes, J. (2006). Fairy Tales and The Art of Subversion. New York: Routledge.
There are 15 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Creative Arts and Writing
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Cemre Mimoza Bartu 0000-0002-6254-6151

Publication Date December 15, 2021
Submission Date March 1, 2021
Acceptance Date July 8, 2021
Published in Issue Year 2021 Volume: 38 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Bartu, C. M. (2021). When Fairy Tales Go Astray: The Dark Humour of Violence in Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 38(2), 522-531. https://doi.org/10.32600/huefd.889259


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