Comic Spirit In Manolito Gafotas

Elvira Lindo, born on January23rd,1962in Cadiz, is a Spanish writer. She is versatile at writing novels, essays, drama, and scripts of television and film. Nonetheless, she builds her fame on a series of children's books with Manolito Gafotas as protagonist. Published between1994and2003, this series includes Manolito Gafotas (1994), Pobre Manolito (1995),(?)Como molo!(Otra de Manolito Gafotas)(1996), Los trapos sucios. Manolito Gafotas (1997), Manolito on the road (1998), Yo y el Imbecil (1999) and Manolito tiene un secreto (2003). On their publication, they were well received. In Spain, over one million copies have been sold and they have been translated into17languages, broadcasting abroad. Moreover, in1998, Lindo was awarded the National Award for Children's and Youth Literature for the fourth book in this series.The novel is told in the first person, from the perspective of Manolito Gafotas. It tells stories of a number of naughty pupils in Carabanchel Alto, with vivid personalities, interesting plot and humorous language style.Manolito Gafotas, the protagonist of this novel, is a timid fatso who rambles. With his peers, he composes the music of growth. The stories among he, his families, his friends, his neighbors and his teachers reveal the trouble and complex feelings of kids in their growth as well as the influences that the parents, teachers and education policies have on the development of children. It is amusing and meaningful.Although this series got readers'favor and became a classic of Spanish children's literature, it is little studied academically in Spain, not to mention in China. Thus, this paper will study this neglected but important field and hope that more Chinese scholars and translators will pay attention to this writer and the whole Spanish children's literature.This paper will analyze the comic spirit in these seven books, according to the important theory of comedy in western literary criticism. It is divided into three chapters.The first chapter will illustrate western scholar's views on comedy and comic spirit and offer the definition for the comic spirit. Then, it will analyze the close connection between comic spirit and children's literature, which is complimentary. However, in Spanish children's literature, the comic spirit did not develop until20th century. Now, it takes a significant place. And the comic spirit is the core of the series Manolito Gafotas.The second chapter introduces three representations of the comic spirit:comic characters, comic plot and comic language. In this series, all characters ranging from children to adults; protagonists to supporting characters are comic and funny. Also, its plot in the pattern of sitcom is comic. Besides, the ups and downs in this novel create a sense of surprise and unexpectedness. At the same time, its language is humorous and bright in style. Apart from the childish tone, this series uses figures of speech like analogy, hyperbole, parody, pleonasm and a number of the idiom of the young.The third chapter analyzed three inherent values of the comic spirit, namely, humanistic care, social criticism and Spanish characteristics. Specifically speaking, this series provides huge stage for the ordinary people. The tenderness and warmth in their lives are very touching. Contentment and open-mindedness as their creed of lives are very thought-provoking. Furthermore, the work satirizes politicians'hypocrisy and educators'incompetence. In addition, the reason why this series is favored by Spanish readers of all ages, to a greater extent, is that the comic spirit has been melted into the blood of every Spaniard and deeply rooted into the Spanish literature.Finally, it should be pointed out that this paper can only demonstrate the feasibility of studying these seven books instead of showing all the interpretations. We believe that concerning these books, more and more people will find new research topics.