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Comedic Power

 I have not read the book but recently watched The Name of the Rose. It is a story about many things including the power of comedy and why it could threaten institutions that would you have you take life seriously. Be it a place of worship or learning and even a place of work where physical labor pays money. A person may participate but not subscribe to the tenets of the institution. That is the sign of a trouble-maker. A monk who would read banned comedic books surreptitiously as in the movie, or a student in school who loudly ridicules what is taught and how it is taught. 

Both are acts of defiance and there is some price to pay - death or detention as the case might be. Humor is a powerful thing and in the story we learn why the church felt so threatened by it. Democracy cannot survive in an environment where humor is frowned upon. It makes sense that India while riddled with many flaws when it comes to being a democracy is blessed with a great sense of self-deprecating humor. There are few if any holy cows, everything is open for blistering criticism and fodder for dark comedy. It's interesting that is the first thought that came to mind while watching the movie - chaotic, loud, and unmanageable India. Maybe that's the secret to our success despite all odds - we recognize comedy as a force of good and let it thrive.

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