Laughter and Awkwardness in Late Medieval England: Social Discomfort in the Literature of the Middle Ages

In "Laughter and Awkwardness in Late Medieval England," David Watt explores the social discomfort depicted and engendered by writers in the 15th century, suggesting that it is a feature rather than a flaw. He pairs medieval texts with twenty-first-century films or television programs to explore the resonance between them and what it can tell us about living together in an awkward age. The late-medieval texts use the relationship between laughter and awkwardness to ask what it means to live with each other and how we can learn to live with ourselves.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 21 September 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

We reside in an intriguing era, as Adam Kotsko asserts. While this situation may pose certain difficulties, it may also enhance our ability to perceive awkwardness in other eras. This book explores the resonance between medieval texts and twenty-first-century films or television programs to understand how we can coexist in an awkward age.

David Watt's study, particularly focusing on the 15th century, delves into the awkward literary trajectory between Chaucer and the Renaissance. His hypothesis suggests that the social discomfort depicted andengendered by writers such as Thomas Hoccleve, Margery Kempe, and Sir Thomas Malory is a feature rather than a flaw.

Laughter and Awkwardness in Late Medieval England explores the commonalities between these authors and other fifteenth-century writers who employed literary techniques to create embodied experiences of social discomfort across various genres. These late-medieval texts, like their contemporary counterparts, utilize the interplay between laughter and awkwardness to inquire about the essence of living together and the potential for self-discovery.

Through this nuanced and engaging analysis, Watt sheds light on the complexities of late medieval society and offers valuable insights into our contemporary experiences of awkwardness. By pairing medieval texts with twenty-first-century media, he invites us to reflect on our shared humanity and the challenges we face in navigating the complexities of modern relationships.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781788314305