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Literary notes about farcical (AI summary)

The term farcical is often used to describe situations or characterizations that deliberately exaggerate absurdity and ridicule while sometimes hinting at a deeper social or political commentary. In literature, farcical passages can depict entire plots or individual behaviors as outrageously humorous or nonsensical, lending a playful yet incisive tone to the work. For instance, it is employed to highlight the absurdity in scenarios that might otherwise be grim or confusing, creating a contrast between intended seriousness and ludicrous action [1]. Similarly, by labeling adventures or trials as farcical, authors underscore the irony and often chaotic nature of human affairs, bridging the gap between theatrical comedy and biting satire [2], [3], [4].
  1. Thus a wholly unmodern incident took a whimsical turn out of a horror which, if farcical in the abstract, was no less potent in the concrete.
    — from Over the Pass by Frederick Palmer
  2. “Why,” he cries, “if this be not a farcical adventure!
    — from Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
  3. Britain, being now an open enemy, extinguishes every other name and title: And to say that reconciliation is our duty, is truly farcical.
    — from Common Sense by Thomas Paine
  4. He shook his head with farcical gravity.
    — from Dubliners by James Joyce

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