Language and Humor in Vs Naipaul's The Mystic Masseur , hyperbole, caricature and other techniques to tell the picaresque story of Ganesh Ramsumair, which the narrator tells us is the story of Trinidad of that era. While it is true, as Gillian Dooley (20) argues, that much of the novel's humor derives from Naipaul's masterful use of language, other elements of the novel also help to produce humor. humor in the novel. The elements of plot, narration, and characterization work hand in hand with linguistic techniques to convey the story in a humorous manner and, in doing so, ridicule and criticize Trinidadian society. In this essay I will argue, with textual evidence from the novel and additional evidence from criticism and analysis of the text, that Naipaul's masterful application of these different elements of the novel form, particularly language, not only helps weave a complete story. humorous but also which conveys important themes concerning the Trinidadian society of which Ganesh is a part. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay From the very beginning, it is important to note that the core of the story itself – the absurd plot and the picaresque genre – is essentially comic and this language serves to tell this story with lightness. The Mystic Masseur is the life story of Ganesh Ramsumair, the son of an Indian from rural Trinidad, who goes from being a struggling student at one of the capital's prestigious schools to becoming a writer , mystical masseur and politician. . The many career changes and their motivations are funny in themselves. Ganesh's evolution is narrated by a young narrator who was once a "patient" of Ganesh, the mystical masseur, and who became curious about him and his books. He tells it from an omniscient point of view and therefore has access to the story of Ganesh, to his books. In some ways, the boy even makes occasional comments in the story. Given the challenges Ganesh faces in rural Trinidad after the death of his father and the loss of his teaching job in the city, he must use trickery to reach the highest level. high and has to fight with people like Ramlogan, his money-centered father-in-law, and political opponents such as Indarsingh and Narayan. The linear and episodic plot chronicling the adventures and tricks of Ganesh in a colonial and semi-literate society, geared towards mimicry and weak in trusting people with Western education and religious understanding, is necessarily humorous. Although the novel arguably focuses more on the characters than the plot, the stories of the trickster characters adorned with the satirical style add humor to the book but also cause readers to think critically about the characters' serious flaws and the society of the novel. One of the main linguistic techniques used by Naipaul, and one that is quite visible to any reader of The Mystic Masseur, is the application of a localized form of English. This Trinidadian English, quite approximate and often humorous, is spoken by the main characters who are part of a society resulting from British colonialism. In a way, it paints a portrait of a semi-literate society that attempts to imitate, unsuccessfully, its colonizers. From the beginning, the young boy who tells the story is engaged in conversationwith his mother to find out which doctor to consult. His mother says, “I know the type of doctors there are in Trinidad…they don't hesitate to kill two or three people before breakfast (Naipaul 1). Like the boy's mother, most of the illiterate characters in the novel, such as Leela, Suruj Mooma and Beharry, use this form of broken English. In fact, the relationship between Victorian English and broken English in speech is problematized in one scene. Ganesh decides he will start speaking only "proper English" but he finds no audience in Leela and can only manage one discussion about the weather with Beharry. The narrator tells us, however, that Ganesh could write decent English like most Trinidadians but was embarrassed to speak it (Naipaul 65). Additionally, the broken English helps reinforce the theme of deception, as an educated person like Ramlogan says something as ridiculous as "All day the girl sat and talked about those puncture marks ( Naipaul 33). » Although this broken English adds to the humor, it certainly evokes themes of imperialism and mimicry in colonial Trinidad. Naipaul's extensive use of irony in the novel also plays an important role in creating the humor of the novel. Irony takes different forms, the main ones being verbal irony, situational irony and dramatic irony. Verbal irony refers to the use of words to mean something different than what the speaker actually says (AT Watt). The novel contains extensive examples of instances where characters use verbal irony. For example, when Ganesh and his father go to Queen's Royal College, Mrs Cooper laughs when she sees them and says: "The boy looks like a really smart man, mate." Certainly, Ms. Cooper does not make this comment as a compliment, especially since the laughter betrays her. On the contrary, she ridicules Ganesh's traditional clothing appearance in an urban environment. The master of verbal irony in the novel is Ramlogan whose words addressed to Ganesh as he tries to convince him to marry his daughter, Leela, are replete with verbal irony. For example, Ramlogan says, “I'm trying my best to make a modern place – as you see – but it's hard, man, sahib,” but his efforts with his simple, dirty store don't seem like much effort. to modernize the neighborhood, but an attempt but all means to earn more money. This kind of verbal irony and sarcasm characterizes Ramlogan and other characters in the novel. Situational irony and dramatic irony are also present in the novel. Situational irony occurs when there is a discrepancy between what should happen and what actually happens, while dramatic irony refers to a situation in which the audience is aware of something that the character of history is not conscious (Watt). A good example of situational irony is the way the school where Ganesh taught early in his career is run. While a school is generally supposed to educate its students in the best possible way, this one, according to the principal, is supposed to "train, not inform." (Naipaul 14) Ganesh does not have the training to become a teacher and the principal's "pep talks" can only make things worse. The other teachers at the school don't seem to be improving either. Another good example is also at the beginning of the novel where Mrs. Cooper tells Ganesh that he can easily test a license to test other drivers and give them licenses as long as they have money even though he cannot not drive himself. This form of irony constitutes a social criticism of a society whose institutions are more or less in ruins, where money and cunning prevail.on excellence and personal integrity. On the other hand, the dramatic irony of the novel serves to accentuate the picaresque elements of the novel, and therefore adds to the humor. A good example of dramatic irony is how Ramlogan pretends to be illiterate and asks Ganesh, who is unaware of his ability to read, to read the newspapers for him. However, the narrator of the frame informs the reader of Ramlogan's claim of illiteracy, thus triggering a maneuver between the two crooks. Ganesh does not learn of Ramlogan's literacy until much later in the novel, when the latter reads the title of his first book 101 Questions and Answers on the Hindu Religion. After praising Ganesh for the book being rather superficial, Ramlogan is annoyed that it is not dedicated to him, highlighting his penchant for self-centeredness. In addition to the various forms of irony, Naipaul's masterful application of hyperbole and embellishment in the novel enhances the comic value of the novel. The novel's characters, from the school principal to Ramlogan to Ganesh himself, exaggerate what they mean and embellish things that don't deserve much praise. In my opinion, Ramlogan is the most hyperbolic character and he uses it as part of his arsenal of trickery. For example, during Ganesh's father's funeral, he is extremely emotional, even more so than Ganesh and one would expect him to be a caring and moral person. Ironically, he is a crook second only to Ganesh and his exaggerated emotions and praise for Ganesh as a modern and educated man is a means to achieve his own selfish goals by marrying his daughter to an educated man and earning the most money. money without losing any. . Ganesh is also a great exaggerator and embellisher. From the title of his book to the many titles he gives himself and promotes – BA, MLC, MBE, even Esquire – Ganesh represents a hierarchical society in which status is revered. To gain respect, or appear to show respect, no matter how disingenuous, one must use embellished titles or descriptions. In fact, Ganesh calls Ramlogan Shri in his advertisement and Ramlogan always calls him sahib, not out of respect but rather in an inviting way. In another humorous episode of Ganesh's exaggeration, he devotes his autobiographic "spiritual thriller and metaphysical thriller" (8) to "Lord Stewart, friend and advisor of many years" (Naipaul 31) despite the fact that he spent only a few sessions with Mr. Stewart before his disappearance. This language technique increases the humor of The Mystic Masseur. Naipaul also applies caricature extensively in the book. Caricature is defined by Dictionary.com as an image or description that ridiculously exaggerates the peculiarities or flaws of people or things. From Beharry, the shopkeeper, with his snacking, to Indarsingh's penchant for things English, through the belching of The Great Belcher, Naipaul draws humor from the particularities of his characters. While the emphasis on these quarks may make the reader laugh, they also cause the reader to think critically about why they are emphasized. For example, Indarsingh's English habits are a caricature of how Western-educated elites who return to places like Trinidad tend to look down on their own culture and embrace Western cultures that alienate them from their own people while They often think they should. to save. On the other hand, Beharry's snacking could be a reference to his conniving ways in that he always pushes Ganesh to do things like become a writer or a mystical masseur which ultimately benefits him because he can sell items to the/

Essay / Language and Humor in Vs Naipaul's The Mystic Masseur , hyperbole, caricature and other techniques to tell the picaresque story of Ganesh Ramsumair, which the narrator tells us is the story of Trinidad of that era. While it is true, as Gillian Dooley (20) argues, that much of the novel's humor derives from Naipaul's masterful use of language, other elements of the novel also help to produce humor. humor in the novel. The elements of plot, narration, and characterization work hand in hand with linguistic techniques to convey the story in a humorous manner and, in doing so, ridicule and criticize Trinidadian society. In this essay I will argue, with textual evidence from the novel and additional evidence from criticism and analysis of the text, that Naipaul's masterful application of these different elements of the novel form, particularly language, not only helps weave a complete story. humorous but also which conveys important themes concerning the Trinidadian society of which Ganesh is a part. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay From the very beginning, it is important to note that the core of the story itself – the absurd plot and the picaresque genre – is essentially comic and this language serves to tell this story with lightness. The Mystic Masseur is the life story of Ganesh Ramsumair, the son of an Indian from rural Trinidad, who goes from being a struggling student at one of the capital's prestigious schools to becoming a writer , mystical masseur and politician. . The many career changes and their motivations are funny in themselves. Ganesh's evolution is narrated by a young narrator who was once a "patient" of Ganesh, the mystical masseur, and who became curious about him and his books. He tells it from an omniscient point of view and therefore has access to the story of Ganesh, to his books. In some ways, the boy even makes occasional comments in the story. Given the challenges Ganesh faces in rural Trinidad after the death of his father and the loss of his teaching job in the city, he must use trickery to reach the highest level. high and has to fight with people like Ramlogan, his money-centered father-in-law, and political opponents such as Indarsingh and Narayan. The linear and episodic plot chronicling the adventures and tricks of Ganesh in a colonial and semi-literate society, geared towards mimicry and weak in trusting people with Western education and religious understanding, is necessarily humorous. Although the novel arguably focuses more on the characters than the plot, the stories of the trickster characters adorned with the satirical style add humor to the book but also cause readers to think critically about the characters' serious flaws and the society of the novel. One of the main linguistic techniques used by Naipaul, and one that is quite visible to any reader of The Mystic Masseur, is the application of a localized form of English. This Trinidadian English, quite approximate and often humorous, is spoken by the main characters who are part of a society resulting from British colonialism. In a way, it paints a portrait of a semi-literate society that attempts to imitate, unsuccessfully, its colonizers. From the beginning, the young boy who tells the story is engaged in conversationwith his mother to find out which doctor to consult. His mother says, “I know the type of doctors there are in Trinidad…they don't hesitate to kill two or three people before breakfast (Naipaul 1). Like the boy's mother, most of the illiterate characters in the novel, such as Leela, Suruj Mooma and Beharry, use this form of broken English. In fact, the relationship between Victorian English and broken English in speech is problematized in one scene. Ganesh decides he will start speaking only "proper English" but he finds no audience in Leela and can only manage one discussion about the weather with Beharry. The narrator tells us, however, that Ganesh could write decent English like most Trinidadians but was embarrassed to speak it (Naipaul 65). Additionally, the broken English helps reinforce the theme of deception, as an educated person like Ramlogan says something as ridiculous as "All day the girl sat and talked about those puncture marks ( Naipaul 33). » Although this broken English adds to the humor, it certainly evokes themes of imperialism and mimicry in colonial Trinidad. Naipaul's extensive use of irony in the novel also plays an important role in creating the humor of the novel. Irony takes different forms, the main ones being verbal irony, situational irony and dramatic irony. Verbal irony refers to the use of words to mean something different than what the speaker actually says (AT Watt). The novel contains extensive examples of instances where characters use verbal irony. For example, when Ganesh and his father go to Queen's Royal College, Mrs Cooper laughs when she sees them and says: "The boy looks like a really smart man, mate." Certainly, Ms. Cooper does not make this comment as a compliment, especially since the laughter betrays her. On the contrary, she ridicules Ganesh's traditional clothing appearance in an urban environment. The master of verbal irony in the novel is Ramlogan whose words addressed to Ganesh as he tries to convince him to marry his daughter, Leela, are replete with verbal irony. For example, Ramlogan says, “I'm trying my best to make a modern place – as you see – but it's hard, man, sahib,” but his efforts with his simple, dirty store don't seem like much effort. to modernize the neighborhood, but an attempt but all means to earn more money. This kind of verbal irony and sarcasm characterizes Ramlogan and other characters in the novel. Situational irony and dramatic irony are also present in the novel. Situational irony occurs when there is a discrepancy between what should happen and what actually happens, while dramatic irony refers to a situation in which the audience is aware of something that the character of history is not conscious (Watt). A good example of situational irony is the way the school where Ganesh taught early in his career is run. While a school is generally supposed to educate its students in the best possible way, this one, according to the principal, is supposed to "train, not inform." (Naipaul 14) Ganesh does not have the training to become a teacher and the principal's "pep talks" can only make things worse. The other teachers at the school don't seem to be improving either. Another good example is also at the beginning of the novel where Mrs. Cooper tells Ganesh that he can easily test a license to test other drivers and give them licenses as long as they have money even though he cannot not drive himself. This form of irony constitutes a social criticism of a society whose institutions are more or less in ruins, where money and cunning prevail.on excellence and personal integrity. On the other hand, the dramatic irony of the novel serves to accentuate the picaresque elements of the novel, and therefore adds to the humor. A good example of dramatic irony is how Ramlogan pretends to be illiterate and asks Ganesh, who is unaware of his ability to read, to read the newspapers for him. However, the narrator of the frame informs the reader of Ramlogan's claim of illiteracy, thus triggering a maneuver between the two crooks. Ganesh does not learn of Ramlogan's literacy until much later in the novel, when the latter reads the title of his first book 101 Questions and Answers on the Hindu Religion. After praising Ganesh for the book being rather superficial, Ramlogan is annoyed that it is not dedicated to him, highlighting his penchant for self-centeredness. In addition to the various forms of irony, Naipaul's masterful application of hyperbole and embellishment in the novel enhances the comic value of the novel. The novel's characters, from the school principal to Ramlogan to Ganesh himself, exaggerate what they mean and embellish things that don't deserve much praise. In my opinion, Ramlogan is the most hyperbolic character and he uses it as part of his arsenal of trickery. For example, during Ganesh's father's funeral, he is extremely emotional, even more so than Ganesh and one would expect him to be a caring and moral person. Ironically, he is a crook second only to Ganesh and his exaggerated emotions and praise for Ganesh as a modern and educated man is a means to achieve his own selfish goals by marrying his daughter to an educated man and earning the most money. money without losing any. . Ganesh is also a great exaggerator and embellisher. From the title of his book to the many titles he gives himself and promotes – BA, MLC, MBE, even Esquire – Ganesh represents a hierarchical society in which status is revered. To gain respect, or appear to show respect, no matter how disingenuous, one must use embellished titles or descriptions. In fact, Ganesh calls Ramlogan Shri in his advertisement and Ramlogan always calls him sahib, not out of respect but rather in an inviting way. In another humorous episode of Ganesh's exaggeration, he devotes his autobiographic "spiritual thriller and metaphysical thriller" (8) to "Lord Stewart, friend and advisor of many years" (Naipaul 31) despite the fact that he spent only a few sessions with Mr. Stewart before his disappearance. This language technique increases the humor of The Mystic Masseur. Naipaul also applies caricature extensively in the book. Caricature is defined by Dictionary.com as an image or description that ridiculously exaggerates the peculiarities or flaws of people or things. From Beharry, the shopkeeper, with his snacking, to Indarsingh's penchant for things English, through the belching of The Great Belcher, Naipaul draws humor from the particularities of his characters. While the emphasis on these quarks may make the reader laugh, they also cause the reader to think critically about why they are emphasized. For example, Indarsingh's English habits are a caricature of how Western-educated elites who return to places like Trinidad tend to look down on their own culture and embrace Western cultures that alienate them from their own people while They often think they should. to save. On the other hand, Beharry's snacking could be a reference to his conniving ways in that he always pushes Ganesh to do things like become a writer or a mystical masseur which ultimately benefits him because he can sell items to the/

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