The Purpose of the "Tragicomedy"

  Tragedy and comedy. Two mediums of storytelling that seem to be polar opposites of each other. The concepts are as old as the ancient Greek Pantheon itself. In the Greek amphitheaters, tragedies were performed during the day and comedies ran in the evenings. The Greeks knew of the cathartic capabilities of both devices, and it was a part of the culture of everyday life to watch these shows. Their separation is only a fragile construct, and often, they are used in tandem to create a unique form of catharsis. A prominent example of this is the movie: Little Miss Sunshine. The events of the plot are truly tragic, but it's so very comedic at the same time that it’s often referred to as a comedy. So why are the elements of tragedy and comedy blended together in such a way, and why does it work?

The answer can be found in our own emotional responses to the film. Like I mentioned previously, tragedy and comedy both provide a catharsis of their own. In blending the two together, a new form of catharsis is born. Tragedies provide outlets for our own misfortunes to be put in the spotlight. In seeing these events onstage- or in a movie, in this case- we experience an emotional release in regard to our own tragedies, and come to terms with them. A comedy, on the other hand, provides a different vessel for catharsis. We laugh at the expense of the characters’ misfortunes. The catharsis comes from the humorization of events that would be considered serious, or at the very least, unfunny if it were to happen to us, but seeing it happen to a character makes it seem less significant in the grand scheme of things; something we can laugh off and move on. That’s precisely what Little Miss Sunshine does. There are many truly tragic events in the story, from the death of a relative to the shattered dreams of an emerging adult. When these events happen, they are painted in a serious light, weighing heavily on the user, and simultaneously creating catharsis to those it pertains to. These events are immediately juxtaposed with a comedic sequence, such as the previously mentioned relative’s corpse being stolen by the family. These comedic sequences are like a glass of lemon juice after a shot of hard vodka (note: I do not drink, as I am underage. I have seen it happen before). It burns at first, as your mouth writhes in agony, but it’s immediately relieved by the sweetness and tanginess of the juice. Similarly, the tragedy is relieved by the comedy that follows it, creating a more palatable catharsis; one that the viewer can walk away from not only satisfied, but also relieved.