Kinesic Humor: Literature, Embodied Cognition, and the Dynamics of Gesture

Laughter in spoken language is often triggered by simple changes in gesture, vocal tone, or tempo, but the causes of laughter in written texts are less well understood. Kinesic Humor by Guillemette Bolens offers a cognitive poetics-based study of triggers of laughter in texts, focusing on tonic shifts and gesture in plot and narrative. Bolens investigates the narrative use of such parameters and how they prompt laughter in a wide-ranging corpus of major authors. She shows how thwarted perceptions and expectations of movements and sensations produce the cognitive shifts typical of humor.

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 24 September 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Laughter is a complex and delightful phenomenon that arises in various contexts, including spoken language and conversation. The triggers of laughter can be surprisingly simple, such as a change in gesture, vocal tone, or tempo. Speakers and listeners possess a remarkable ability to understand and utilize these dynamics of gesture through motor cognition, resulting in highly effective communication.

However, the causes of laughter and the experience of humor in written texts remain less well understood. In her book "Kinesic Humor," Guillemette Bolens delves into a cognitive poetics-based study of the triggers of laughter in texts, with a particular focus on tonic shifts and gesture in plot and narrative. Bolens demonstrates how literary texts from different periods offer valuable insights into kinesthesia, the role of tonicity in communication, and the impact of momentum, timing, and tempo on the processing of gestures in human exchanges.

Through her investigation of the narrative use of these parameters, Bolens uncovers how thwarted perceptions and expectations of movements and sensations produce the cognitive shifts that characterize humor. By integrating narratology, cognitive studies, gesture studies, humor studies, and historical context, Bolens offers original perspectives on significant artworks and makes a substantial contribution to cognitive poetics.

Originally published in French as "L'Humour et le savoir des corps" in 2016, this volume now reaches an English-speaking audience, allowing a broader audience to appreciate Bolens' insightful work. "Kinesic Humor" is a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and anyone interested in the complexities of laughter and its cultural significance.

Weight: 466g
Dimension: 164 x 331 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780190930066