Non sequitur (literary device)
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Distinguish". Template:Italic title A non sequitur (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell, Script error: No such module "IPA".; "[it] does not follow") is a conversational literary device, often used for comedic purposes. It is something said that, because of its apparent lack of meaning relative to what preceded it,[1] seems absurd to the point of being humorous or confusing. This use of the term is distinct from the non sequitur in logic, where it is a fallacy.[2]
Etymology
The expression is Latin for "[it] does not follow".[3] It comes from the words non meaning "not" and the verb sequi meaning "to follow".[4]
Usage
A non sequitur can denote an abrupt, illogical, or unexpected turn in plot or dialogue by including a relatively inappropriate change in manner. A non sequitur joke sincerely has no explanation, but it reflects the idiosyncrasies, mental frames and alternative world of the particular comic persona.[5]
Comic artist Gary Larson's The Far Side cartoons are known for what Larson calls "absurd, almost non sequitur animal" characters, such as talking cows, to create a bizarre effect. He gives the example of a strip where "two cows in a field gaze toward burning Chicago, saying 'It seems that agent 6373 had accomplished her mission.'"[6]
See also
- Anacoluthon
- Anti-humor
- Dada
- Derailment (thought disorder)
- "Good day, fellow!" "Axe handle!"
- Gibberish
- Roger Irrelevant
- Surreal humour
References
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- ↑ The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. Oxford University Press, 2009.
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- ↑ Merriam Webster's Online Dictionary. http://mw1.m-w.com/dictionary/non%20sequitur Template:Webarchive
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Further reading
- The Koan: Texts and Contexts in Zen Buddhism. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 2000.
- Shabo, Magedah Rhetoric, Logic, and Argumentation: A Guide for Student Writers. United States, Prestwick House, 2010.
External links
- Getting It: Human Event-Related Brain Response to Jokes in Good and Poor Comprehenders - "When asked to pick the punch-line of a joke from an array of choices, including straightforward endings, non sequitur endings, and the correct punch-line, RHD patients erred by picking non sequitur endings, indicating that they know surprise is necessary"