| Basic Concept:
Two Processes of Abstraction: Burlesque and Idealization
"Abstraction" is the process of reducing a subject to a set of distinctive features. As such, abstraction is considered one of the several figures of speech. Of the various types of figures of speech are "burlesques" and "idealization." . Burlesque Burlesque is the process of reducing a subject to a set of distinctive features that are then distorted or exaggerated for purposes of humor or criticism. Two types of burlesque include "high burlesque" and "low burlesque." . "High Burlesque" In its distortion or exaggeration, high burlesque raises a trivial subject to a position of unnatural high esteem or value. Mock heroic literature often depicts such distortion. When the Baron snips a locket from Beatrice's hair in Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock," he creates a scism that raises a cry of reproach that reaches to the heavens. Pope's social relationships that motivated his writing the poem aside, clearly, the treatment of the snippet of hair, fully elaborated through the elements of Neo-classical style, is a humorous spoof of the social graces of the aristocrats. . "Low Burlesque" It its comic or critical treatment of its subject, low burlesque reduces a subject of relative high value to a position of unnatural low esteem or value. Political cartoons are good examples of low burlesque. So, too, was Lincoln's caricature as the "gorilla." . The Psychology of Burlesque Burlesque is a comparison between a viewer or reader's expectation of a subject (the standard) and the writer's distortion of the subject (the alternative). The effect of the distortion is shock followed by laughter. The greater the distortion, the greater the reaction. Laughter constitutes a rejection of the alternative and a reinforcement of faith in the standard. . Idealization Idealization is the process of reducing a subject to only its most highly valued distinctive features. It presents only the "rosiest" picture or interpretation of a subject, omitting any mention of unpleasant or undesirable details. . Idealization is a persuasive technique that complements emotional appeals ("begging the question"), considered one of the logical fallacies. . Online Connections For a standard definition of burlesque in the context of other literary terms, see "A Glossary of Literary Terms." See the UVic Writer's Guide "Literary and Rhetorical Terms: An Alphabetical List" for a discussion of "high" and "low" burlesque. For the standard definition of "idealization," see the Websters Dictionary (1913). . Our Course Connections Perhaps the earliest examples of idealization is found in the depiction of the colonies in promotional tracks written to attract investors in the English colonies in England. George Alsop idealizes the woods of "Mary-land" in 1666 (?) St. Jean de Creveceour certainly idealizes family life in the farming valleys in sections of his "What is an American?" . Low burlesque is the foundation for much of American humor. Early examples are found in the works of the diarists including Madam Knight and William Byrd of Westover. In its darkest manifestation, it is employed in much racist humorous tracks like the "David Crockett Almanacs" popular throughout the 19th century where, in "sketches," it is used to stereotype minorities. .  |