The Absurd and the Comical in The Piano in a Factory
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Author(s)
Shi, Xiaoling
Date Issued
2017
Abstract
Whereas scholarship on Zhang Meng's acclaimed film The Piano in a Factory is scarce and mainly focuses on working-class identities, the present article contributes to the discussion by investigating the film's tragicomic style. By taking an existentialist viewpoint about the absurd, it demonstrates that the furloughed workers in fact live in an absurdist existence. Moreover, the changing era rather than character flaws is blamed for the absurdity. Specific images are examined in order to reveal a symbolism having to do with the demise of industrialism and the advent of commercialism. While absurdity is the undercurrent, the characters use humor as a strategy to evade, elude, and cope with life. The third section employs theories of comedy to investigate the comicality of the movie, which derives from exaggeration of negative traits in the characters. The paper argues that by manipulating the scenario at the end, Zhang holds out hope for the working- class' future. Piano is hence able to transcend the absurdist existence and end up with joy, hope and faith.
Journal
Frontiers of Literary Studies in China
Department
Modern and Classical Languages
Citation
Shi, XL. (2017). The absurd and comical in The Piano in a Factory. Frontiers of Literary Studies in China 11(3): 536-562. doi:10.3868/s010-006-017-0027-0
Publisher
Brill Online
Version of Article
Original manuscript prior to peer review (preprint)
Embargo
This version of the article is available for viewing to the public after 12/1/2019
DOI
10.3868/s010-006-017-0027-0
ISSN
1673-7318
e1673-7423
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