VLVL and NPPF: How Authors Achieve Humor (part 2)

[Tim Strzechowski]

 . . . continuing:
 
"The sharp-edged tone then shifts to a farcical one that once again relaxes the reader as Zoyd quickly drives to the Cucumber Lounge where the local TV station is ready to film his annual leap through a window, a "publicly crazy" (3) stunt that allows Wheeler to get his government stipend (and also keeps the government agents, Hector and Brock Vond, informed of his whereabouts).  Here, too, incongruities add to the humor.  Zoyd braces himself to run "empty-minded at the window" only to find that there is hardly any impact. [...] The window, Zoyd finally realizes, is made of candy, not glass.  "He was no media innocent," explains the narrator ironically, "he read TV Guide and had just remembered an article about stunt windows made of clear sheet candy, which would break but not cut.  That's why this one had felt so funny" (12).

 
 
Is the humor in Chapter 1 solely for the purpose of putting our hapless protagonist in an aburd Pynchonesque scenario (the "wine jellies" and the "balloon pie fight" scenes in GR come to mind)?  Or is there more to it?

Does the humor in Chapter 1 serve to further the satire in any way?

Can the humor in Kinbote's "Foreward" be considered satirical?  If so, what are the various targets of satire?  Toward what end, on Nabokov's part?

How do Pynchon and Nabokov manipulate language in their respective novels to achieve their humor?  Do they essentially use language the same way (just varying the content based on the demands of the narrative), or do they achieve humor through different means?


* sidenote:

For me, the funniest part of the "Foreward" is Kinbote's description of himself, Shade, and the other profs in the faculty lounge, and the dialogue that ensues; the funniest part of VL Chpt. 1 for me is the Log Jam discussion.  If I get time later, I might want to compare those two scenes to see how the two authors use language to achieve the humor.

Tim
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