FOOD AND COOKING AS COMIC RELIEF IN IRIS MURDOCH’S THE SEA, THE SEA

Abstract

As a literary term, comic relief is the appearance of humorous and funny episodes or scenes in otherwise serious literary works. The aim of comic relief is to reduce the anxiety or distress that the audience feels as a result of the depiction of the painful and pitiful events or incidents. The joy and laughter that comic relief provides balance the intensity of the misery and sadness which are inherent in the narrative. Although comic relief is mostly associated with dramatic works, the scenes of food and cooking in Iris Murdoch’s 1978 Booker Prize winner novel The Sea, the Sea illustrate some proper examples of the term. Murdoch’s protagonist, the retired playwright and director Charles Arrowby, cheerfully cooks and eats whenever the mental anxiety rises to a critical level. Charles displays his enjoyment of preparing and having food so intensely that his happiness and thrill easily neutralise the uneasiness of the reader. This paper aims to illustrate how a protagonist’s delight at food and cooking serves as comic relief which reduces the intensity of the unease caused by a sad story.

Keywords

• Comic relief
• Food
• Cooking
• Anxiety
• Reader

IRIS MURDOCH’IN DENİZ, DENİZ ADLI ESERİNDE MİZAHİ FERAHLAMA OLARAK YİYECEK VE YEMEK HAZIRLAMA

Abstract

Edebi bir terim olarak mizahi ferahlık, aslen ciddi edebi eserlerde ortaya çıkan güldürücü ve eğlenceli bölüm ya da sahnelere verilen addır. Mizahi ferahlığın amacı acı veren ve ıstıraplı olay ya da vakaların tarifinden kaynaklanan izleyicinin hissettiği endişe ya da acıyı azaltmaktır. Mizahi ferahlığın sebep olduğu neşe ve kahkaha anlatıda yer alan ıstırap ve hüznün şiddetini dengeler. Her ne kadar mizahi ferahlık çoğunlukla tiyatro eserleri ile ilişkilendirilse de, Iris Murdoch’ın 1978 Booker Ödüllü romanı Deniz, Deniz bu kavramın bazı önemli örneklerini betimler. Murdoch’ın başkahramanı olan emekli oyun yazarı ve yönetmen Charles Arrowby, ne zaman zihinsel endişe hassas bir seviyeye yükselse neşeyle yemek hazırlar. Charles yemek yapmaktan duyduğu zevki öylesine yoğun bir şekilde sergiler ki, kendi mutluluk ve heyecanı kolaylıkla okuyucunun tedirginliğini etkisiz hale getirir. Bu makale bir başkahramanın yiyecek ve yemek hazırlamaktan duyduğu sevincin nasıl da hüzünlü bir öykünün sebep olduğu tedirginliğin şiddetini azaltan mizahi ferahlık işlevi sergilediğini göstermeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Mizahi ferahlık
• Yiyecek
• Yiyecek hazırlama
• Endişe
• Okuyucu

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