Bathos - Academic Mode

Definition of Bathos
Bathos is a literary term derived from a Greek word meaning "depth". Bathos is the act of a writer or poet falling for absurd and inconsequential metaphors, descriptions, or ideas in an effort to become more and more emotional or passionate.

Some mistake bathos for "pathos." The term was used by Alexander Pope to explain mistakes inadvertently made by unskilled writers or poets; However, later it was intentionally used by comic book writers to create humorous effects. The most commonly used bathrooms involve a sequence of elements ranging from dignity to silliness.

Examples of bathrooms in literature
Example # 1: The Mary Tyler Moore Show (by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show had an episode involving the death of the clown Chuckles, who was very brutally murdered by a stampeding elephant Everyone on the station keeps making jokes about it that Mary doesn't approve of. Later, when she attends her funeral, she laughs hysterically while the rest of the people look at her in exasperation.

Example # 2: The Naked Gun (by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker, Pat Proft)
Silly humor styles can use the toilet method, such as the television series Police Squad !, which uses toilets a lot . Gun shows numerous points where a serious scenario is built only to later tear it down with goofy comments from Frank Drebin. For example:

FRANK: "A good cop - senseless cut off by some worthless thugs."

ED: "That is no way for a man to die."

FRANK: "No ... you're right, Ed. A parachute that won't open ... that's one way to die, get caught in the gears of a combine harvester ... have a Laplander bite your nuts, that's how I want to go! ”

WILMA NORDBERG:“ Oh… Frank, this is terrible! "

ED:" Don't worry, Wilma. Your husband is going to be fine. Do not you worry about anything! He only thinks positive. Never let a doubt enter your mind. "

FRANK:" He's right Wilma. But I wouldn't wait until the last minute to fill out those organ donor cards. "(The Naked Gun, 1988)

Example # 3: Northanger Abbey (By Jane Austen)
Jane Austen is one of the few serious writers who used this tool. helped bring a sense of joy to her novel Northanger Abbey In this novel, Austen highlights the witty and imaginative character of the protagonist, Catherine Morland. She uses Catherine's increasingly active imagination to work as bathos in order to parody the plot used in the gothic novels of Ann Radcliffe and others like her. In Radcliff's Forest Romance, a character finds a human skeleton in the chest. At Northanger Abbey. , Austen uses a mysterious chest in her story as a prop to successfully construct and satirize the extremes of 18th century gothic fiction.

Catherine was skeptical when she saw the huge chest in her room during her stay in the Abbey. Certain questions arose in her mind about that chest, and what it contained, and why it was placed in her room. Catherine, who appeared to be very naive, continued to investigate the chest.

You can see that the novel at this particular point takes on a very gothic tone. Begins to use short clauses consisting of many unfavorable words, for example, "shaking hands," "alarming violence," and "fearful curiosity." Word selection at this point helps create suspense in the minds of readers and audience, only to find, consequently, that the chest only contains a folded sheet.

Example # 4: Sorry, I'll read it again (BBC Radio Comedy)
The British radio series I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again also provides us with many examples of bathos. John Cleese and Jo Kendall played the roles of a couple whose relationship is on the verge of failure.

MARY: “John - once we had something that was pure, wonderful, and good. What happened to it? ”

JOHN:“ She spent everything. "

When Mary says" something pure and wonderful, "she is actually referring to the deep, sacred, noble form of love. However, the description is vague enough for John to manipulate it.

Function of Bathos
Bathos is a device that, when used skillfully, can really build up a nice comic scene. Bados brings a measure of wit to a scene by emphasizing the contrast in tone. First of all, it is used to create a serious and powerful dramatic situation. This can be somewhat difficult to create for comedy writers. Therefore, comedy writers must be very careful when inserting jokes here and there in the middle of a serious scene; there is great danger that his jokes will break the tempo of a serious prose scene.