Carnivalesque in Literature and Literary Theory

Carnivalesque: Etymology and Concept

Etymology: The term “carnivalesque” derives from the word “carnival,” which itself has Latin origins, specifically from the phrase “carne vale,” meaning “farewell to meat” or “goodbye to flesh.”

The concept evolved from the medieval Latin phrase to encapsulate the festive and subversive spirit associated with carnivals, where societal norms are temporarily overturned, and participants engage in playful, often satirical, and liberating activities.

Key Concepts of Carnivalesque:

• Inversion of Hierarchy: Carnivalesque often involves the temporary reversal or suspension of social hierarchies, allowing for a world where the ordinary is upended and the marginalized take center stage.
• Liberation and Laughter: Central to the concept is the idea of liberation through laughter and humor, creating a space for individuals to mock authority, challenge norms, and revel in the joyous spirit of carnival.
• Grotesque Bodies: Carnivalesque settings frequently feature exaggerated and grotesque depictions of the human body, challenging conventional ideals and embracing the bodily and the visceral as sources of celebration.
• Temporary Suspension of Rules: During carnivalesque events, the usual societal rules and norms are momentarily set aside, fostering an atmosphere of freedom and openness where individuals can experiment with new identities and behaviors.
• Satirical Critique: The carnivalesque is often characterized by satirical and critical elements, providing a platform for individuals to express dissent, challenge power structures, and question prevailing ideologies.
• Communal Celebration: Carnivals are communal events, emphasizing collective participation and shared experiences that contribute to a sense of community and solidarity among participants.
• Cultural and Social Renewal: The temporary disruption and inversion of norms during carnivalesque moments are seen as a form of cultural and social renewal, allowing for the release of pent-up tensions and the reaffirmation of shared values.
• Historical and Cultural Variations: The carnivalesque concept is adaptable and manifests in various forms across different cultures and historical periods, reflecting the specific socio-political contexts in which it emerges.

Carnivalesque: Meanings

Aspect	Meanings
Inversion of Hierarchy	Temporary reversal of social hierarchies, putting the ordinary aside, and highlighting the marginalized.
Liberation and Laughter	Liberation through humor, allowing individuals to mock authority, challenge norms, and embrace the joy of carnival.
Grotesque Bodies	Featuring exaggerated, unconventional depictions of the human body, challenging norms and celebrating the visceral.
Temporary Suspension of Rules	Momentary setting aside of societal norms, fostering freedom and openness for experimenting with new identities.
Satirical Critique	Characterized by satire and criticism, providing a platform for dissent, challenging power structures, and questioning ideologies.
Communal Celebration	Emphasizing collective participation and shared experiences, contributing to community and solidarity among participants.
Cultural and Social Renewal	Temporary disruption of norms seen as a form of cultural and social renewal, releasing tensions and reaffirming shared values.
Historical and Cultural Variations	Adaptable concept manifesting in various forms across cultures and historical periods, reflecting specific socio-political contexts.

Carnivalesque: Definition of a Theoretical Term

Carnivalesque, rooted in Mikhail Bakhtin’s literary theory, denotes a literary and cultural concept characterized by the temporary inversion of social hierarchies, suspension of norms, and the celebration of bodily and festive excess. It embraces laughter, satire, and grotesque depictions, providing a space for subversion and critique of established authority. This theoretical term reflects a dynamic and liberating mode often employed in literature and cultural expressions to challenge conventions and highlight the transformative potential of temporary disruptions.

Carnivalesque: Theorists, Works and Argument

Theorist	Key Theoretical Work	Argument
Mikhail Bakhtin	Rabelais and His World	Bakhtin’s theoretical work explores the carnivalesque as a subversive cultural phenomenon, emphasizing the temporary inversion of social hierarchies during carnival events, allowing for the expression of the grotesque and the liberation of laughter.
Jerzy Grotowski	Towards a Poor Theatre	Grotowski, in his theoretical writings, applies the carnivalesque to theater, advocating for a transformative approach to performance where the human body becomes a site of subversion and resistance, challenging established norms.
Berna Eli “B.J.” Johnson	Carnivalesque: A Theory of Comedy in the Novels of Benito Pérez Galdós	Johnson’s theoretical work focuses on the carnivalesque in the context of Spanish literature, particularly in the novels of Galdós, examining how the carnivalesque serves as a critical tool for social and political commentary.
Peter Stallybrass and Allon White	The Politics and Poetics of Transgression	Stallybrass and White contribute to the carnivalesque discourse by exploring its political and poetic dimensions, examining how carnival disrupts and challenges established structures, offering insights into the subversive potential of festive practices.

This table provides a structured overview of the theorists, their key theoretical works, and the core arguments related to the carnivalesque concept.

Carnivalesque: Major Characteristics

1. Inversion of Hierarchy: The carnivalesquing involves the temporary reversal or suspension of social hierarchies, allowing for a world where the ordinary is upended, and the marginalized take center stage.
2. Liberation and Laughter: Central to the concept is the idea of liberation through laughter and humor, creating a space for individuals to mock authority, challenge norms, and revel in the joyous spirit of carnival.
3. Grotesque Bodies: Carnivalesquing settings frequently feature exaggerated and grotesque depictions of the human body, challenging conventional ideals and embracing the bodily and the visceral as sources of celebration.
4. Temporary Suspension of Rules: During carnivalesquing events, the usual societal rules and norms are momentarily set aside, fostering an atmosphere of freedom and openness where individuals can experiment with new identities and behaviors.
5. Satirical Critique: The carnivalesquing is often characterized by satirical and critical elements, providing a platform for individuals to express dissent, challenge power structures, and question prevailing ideologies.
6. Communal Celebration: Carnivals are communal events, emphasizing collective participation and shared experiences that contribute to a sense of community and solidarity among participants.
7. Cultural and Social Renewal: The temporary disruption and inversion of norms during carnivalesque moments are seen as a form of cultural and social renewal, allowing for the release of pent-up tensions and the reaffirmation of shared values.
8. Historical and Cultural Variations: The carnivalesque concept is adaptable and manifests in various forms across different cultures and historical periods, reflecting the specific socio-political contexts in which it emerges.

Carnivalesque: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory Perspective	Relevance of Carnivalesque
Mikhail Bakhtin’s Dialogism:	The carnivalesque aligns with Bakhtin’s emphasis on multiple voices, challenging monologic authority, and allowing for the expression of diverse, subversive voices within literature.
Marxist Literary Criticism	Offers a lens for critiquing societal structures, as the carnivalesque often involves the inversion of social hierarchies, providing a space for the exploration of class struggles and power dynamics.
Feminist Literary Criticism	Provides a tool for challenging and subverting patriarchal norms, as the carnivalesque permits the expression of alternative perspectives, the questioning of gender roles, and the celebration of diverse identities.
Postcolonial Literary Theory	Allows for the exploration of resistance against colonial oppression, as the carnivalesque can serve as a platform for challenging and overturning cultural hegemony and imperialistic norms.
Psychoanalytic Literary Theory	Offers a space for the expression of repressed desires and the exploration of the unconscious, as the carnivalesque often involves the release of inhibitions and the celebration of the visceral and grotesque.
Postmodern Literary Criticism	Aligns with postmodern tendencies by challenging fixed meanings and celebrating ambiguity, as the carnivalesque disrupts conventional narrative structures and allows for the exploration of multiple perspectives.
Cultural Studies	Provides insights into the dynamics of cultural renewal and societal critique, as the carnivalesque fosters temporary disruptions of norms, allowing for the expression of diverse cultural practices and values.

Carnivalesque: Application in Critiques

1. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Application of Carnivalesque: Marquez employs the carnivalesque to subvert traditional narrative structures, presenting magical realism and creating a world where the ordinary and extraordinary coexist. The novel’s nonlinear timeline and fantastical elements challenge conventional storytelling, contributing to a sense of literary liberation.
2. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov: Application of Carnivalesque: Bulgakov’s work exhibits carnivalesque characteristics through the surreal and grotesque events surrounding the Devil’s visit to Moscow. The inversion of societal norms, the celebration of the absurd, and the mockery of authority contribute to a satirical critique of Soviet society.
3. Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon: Application of Carnivalesque: Pynchon’s novel explores the carnivalesque through its chaotic and labyrinthine narrative, challenging linear storytelling and traditional causality. The grotesque depictions, unconventional structure, and celebration of absurdity contribute to a critique of post-war societal norms and technological advancements.
4. The Tin Drum by Günter Grass: Application of Carnivalesque: Grass utilizes the carnivalesque to depict the absurdity and chaos of Nazi Germany. The protagonist’s refusal to grow, the grotesque imagery, and the inversion of traditional coming-of-age narratives contribute to a satirical exploration of historical events and societal norms.

In these literary works, the application of the carnivalesque serves as a tool for authors to subvert norms, challenge power structures, and offer a satirical critique of societal and historical contexts.

Carnivalesque: Relevant Terms

Term	Definition
Carnivalesque	Temporary inversion of social norms, featuring chaos, satire, and the grotesque.
Grotesque Bodies	Exaggerated depictions challenging societal norms, embracing the unconventional.
Satirical Critique	Use of humor, irony, and ridicule to mock societal structures and cultural norms.
Magical Realism	Narrative blending fantastical elements with reality to challenge perceptions.
Inversion of Hierarchy	Temporary reversal of social hierarchies, allowing marginalized voices to emerge.
Subversion	Undermining established norms, expectations, or power structures, central to critique.
Liberation and Laughter	Freedom and joy derived from carnivalesque, using laughter for social expression.
Surrealism	Artistic movement exploring the irrational and fantastical, often in carnivalesque works.
Cultural Renewal	Temporary disruption of cultural norms during carnivalesque events for tension release.
Dialogism	Bakhtin’s concept emphasizing interaction of diverse voices, seen in carnivalesque literature.

Carnivalesque: Suggested Readings

1. Bakhtin, Mikhail. Rabelais and His World. Translated by Helene Iswolsky, Indiana University Press, 1984.
2. Stallybrass, Peter, and Allon White. The Politics and Poetics of Transgression. Cornell University Press, 1986.
3. Berman, Marshall. All That Is Solid Melts into Air: The Experience of Modernity. Verso, 1982.
4. Grotowski, Jerzy. Towards a Poor Theatre. Edited by Eugenio Barba, Routledge, 2002.
5. Hutcheon, Linda. A Theory of Parody: The Teachings of Twentieth-Century Art Forms. University of Illinois Press, 2000.
6. Pynchon, Thomas. Gravity’s Rainbow. Viking Press, 1973.
7. Bakhtin, Mikhail. Problems of Dostoevsky’s Poetics. Edited and translated by Caryl Emerson, University of Minnesota Press, 1984.
8. Rabelais, François. Gargantua and Pantagruel. Translated by J.M. Cohen, Penguin Classics, 1955.
9. Marx, Karl. The Communist Manifesto. Edited by Frederic L. Bender, Norton & Company, 1988.