Wit and its relation to the unconscious — John Shaqi
Wit and its relation to the unconsciousFreud, Sigmund
Science
Wit and its relation to the unconscious
Freud, Sigmund
Subconsciousness; Wit and humor -- Psychological aspects
“_This girl reminds me of Dreyfus. The army does not believe in her
innocence._”
The word innocence, whose double meaning furnishes the basis of the
witticism, has in one connection the customary meaning which is the
opposite of guilt or transgression, while in the other connection it has
a sexual sense, the opposite of which is sexual experience. There are
very many such examples of double meaning and in each one the point of
the joke refers especially to a sexual sense. The group could be
designated as “ambiguous.” _A good example to illustrate this is the
story told of a wealthy but elderly gentleman who showed his devotion to
a young actress by many lavish gifts. Being a respectable girl she took
the first opportunity to discourage his attentions by telling him that
her heart was already given to another man. “I never aspired as high as
that,” was his polite answer._
If one compares this example of double-meaning-with-ambiguity with other
examples one cannot help noticing a difference which is not altogether
inconsequential to the technique. In the joke about “innocence” one
meaning of the word is just as good for our understanding of it as the
other. One can really not decide whether the sexual or non-sexual
significance of the word is more applicable and more familiar. But it is
different with the other example mentioned. Here the final sense of the
words, “I never aspired as high as that,” is by far more obtrusive and
covers and conceals, as it were, the sexual sense which could easily
escape the unsuspecting person. In sharp contrast to this let us examine
another example of double meaning in which there is no attempt made to
veil its sexual significance—e.g., Heine’s characterization of a
complaisant lady: “_She could pass (abschlagen) nothing except her
water._” It sounds like an obscene joke and the wit in it is scarcely
noticed.[28] But the peculiarity that both senses of the double meaning
are not equally manifested can occur also in witticisms without sexual
reference providing that one sense is more common or that it is
preferred on account of its connection with the other parts of the
sentence (e.g., _c’est le premier vol de l’aigle_). All these examples I
propose to call double meaning with allusion.
We have by this time become familiar with such a large number of
different techniques of wit that I am afraid we may lose sight of them.
Let us, therefore, attempt to make a summary.
I. CONDENSATION
(a) with mixed word-formation.
(b) with modification.
II. THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME MATERIAL
(c) The whole and the part.
(d) Change of order.
(e) Slight modification.
(f) The same words used in their full or colorless sense.
III. DOUBLE MEANING
(g) Name and verbal significance.
(h) Metaphorical and verbal meaning.
(i) True double meaning (play on words).
(j) Ambiguous meaning.
(k) Double meaning with allusion.
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