Elements of Communication in the Carnival Parody: A Methodological Introduction

Forms of nonverbal expression that are based on imitation processes are examined from the perspective of communication theory. As illustrated, the carnival ritual in Laza, Spain, is analyzed, based on observation. These celebrations resort to analogic processes of communication, especially parody & the grotesque. The objects of reference parodied are described in detail, & include: the life stages of birth, marriage, old age, & death. In the carnival ritual, everything is exaggerated & terms are inverted, resorting to forms of organization similar to those of rhetorical figures. Gestures, postures, clothes, & interactive acts take part in these expressive elaborations, usually having an absurd, burlesque meaning; but the interaction of provoking & expressing laughter is the product of a metacommunicational agreement previous to these parodic processes. 1 Appendix, 24 References. Modified HA