The Third Policeman A Lesson in Absurdity Essay - 1571 Words

The Third Policeman: A Lesson in Absurdity The protagonist in Flann O’Brien’s novel The Third Policeman has spent the past several days following the bizarre characters Policeman MacCruiskeen and Sergeant Pluck in an even more bizarre world of his own creation. The narrator, who is bent on receiving his treasure, which is tucked securely inside a black box, follows these characters patiently waiting to receive his fate neatly packed away in a box. The narrator finds himself in the midst of a world in which it takes every stretch of the imagination of the reader and the narrator to understand. O’Brien asks the reader to suspend disbelief and follow along for the ride. O’Brien pushes the boundaries of postmodernism novel and the limits†¦show more content†¦O’Brien tosses the reader on their ear; spinning the world upside-down, and breaks from the modernist view of literature. Through The Third Policeman, O’Brien rebuts these 20th century theories and begs to ask the questio n â€Å"How far can I bend the human mind through literature and still have the reader believe? How far is too far? The answer can be found within the pages of The Third Policeman. The beginning of the 20th century brought about a time of experimentation and quest to understand the human existence, postmodernism, and enlightenment; science and technology, education and scholarship move to the forefront, replacing the traditional and religious previous mindset. The search for enlightenment sent intellectuals and artist asking questions that were not grounded in faith or tradition and usually took aim at the Catholic Church. O’Brien questioning his own beliefs sought to understand these â€Å"new† theories founded in scientific proof. The evidence from these endeavors sprang theories from creation to interworking of the human brain. Let’s first begin by defining the word satire; what is satire? Satire is a literary device used to criticize or expose an individu al or society, usually political, but not always. Satire is usually used to make fun of or exaggerate corruption of blunders of humanity in a humorous manner. So, how does satire fit into Flann O’Brien’s novel The Third Policeman? O’Brien uses satire to expose the ridiculousness of the â€Å"searchShow MoreRelatedwisdom,humor and faith19596 Words   |  79 Pagesprecisely that we take ourselves too seriously. We are rather insignificant little bundles of energy and vitality in a vast organization of life. But we pretend that we are the very center of this organization. This pretension is ludicrous; and its absurdity increases with our lack of awareness of it. The less we are able to laugh at ourselves the more it becomes necessary and inevitable that others laugh at us.9 Humor and Wisdom in Europe: Some Highlights Renaissance Humor: Erasmus, Rabelais, Cervantes