Jewish Humor and Woody Allen's Short Fiction.

Woody Allen's short fiction has received much less scholarly attention than his films. Scholars who have investigated the humorous qualities of Allen's short stories and casual pieces have noted his penchant for absurdity and non sequitur, his use of the Little Man as a vehicle for humor, and the linguistic dimensions of his joke scripts rather than his Jewish comic sensibilities. Beginning with a brief overview on how Jewish humor has contributed to the comic achievements of American culture and drawing on analyses of the main characteristics of Jewish humor, this article adds to the scholarship by exploring the influence of Jewish humorous traditions on Woody Allen's short fiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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