Challenge 400

First as Tragedy, Then as Farce

In Diana Pollin’s “Night Shift”:
1. The opening paragraph of the story is rather long. Aside from the initial interjections, it is also a single sentence. Why would the preacher use that style?
2. Marion’s conscience is represented by the initials “JC.” They stand for “Jiminy Cricket” rather than “Jesus Christ.” Why is the parody on the initials appropriate?
3. How does Marion misunderstand the word “aneurysm” correctly?
4. What does Gabriel mean by: “It is not the thought. It is not the deed. It is the flowers”?
Is Colin P. Davies’ “Henry Jumps a Shark” a comedy or a tragedy?
How might Julie Wornan’s “The Dream Slaves” illustrate the point of “Validation,” in issue 399?
Michael C. Keith’s “Growing Fame” satirizes “idol”-type television programs. The character Barry Suskind disregards his life-threatening disease in pursuit of fame. Does the fact that his infirmity reaches egregiously implausible proportions change the nature of the story? Is the story a farce or tragedy treated as farce?