Elements of Comedy in Luis Valdez’s Acto Los Vendidos as Techniques for Communication and Mobilisation

Elements of Comedy in Luis Valdez′s Acto Los Vendidos

as Techniques for Communication and Mobilisation

By
Jörg Vogelmann
WS 2005/2006

1

Los Vendidos by Luis Valdez

Thesis
Los Vendidos consists of various comedic patterns to enable a thrilling, entertaining and effective political communication between the author and his audience and to mobilise his fellow Chicano countrymen.

Game Plan (outline)
- Introduction: Valdez wants to communicate with the oppressed (Bagby citation)
- He does this so successful as he uses elements of comedy in Los Vendidos to communicate with and mobilise e.g. the field workers
- Definitions of comedic patterns and the assignment of the play to these classifications
- low vs. high comedy: situation comedy, farce (stereotype characters) and slapstick comedy.
- romantic vs. realistic comedy: comedy of humours, comedy of manners, satiric comedy.
- the critical purpose of Valdez′ satirical comedy: social criticism, communication and mobilisation, Chicano movement and identity
- Conclusion

2

Contents

1. Introduction 3
2. Comedic Elements in Luis Valdez′s Acto Los Vendidos 4
2.1 Elements of Low Comedy in Luis Valdez′s Acto Los Vendidos 4
2.2 Elements of Realistic Comedy in Luis Valdez′s Acto Los Vendidos 6
3. The Critical Purpose of Valdez′s Satirical Comedy 7
4. Conclusion 8
Works Cited 9