Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1994. [Vol. 2.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 22)

STUDIES - András Tarnóc: "Who is Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" Reflections of Political Correctness in a Distorted Mirror.

parody of multiculturalism in which the mainstream Euro-American ideal must surrender to the demands of an idyllic rainbow nation, and a biting satire on U.S. colonial aspirations. Garner presents the caricaturized extremities of the PC perspective through a distorted mirror following the tradition of the humor of the American West, "which relied mainly on exaggeration and a blending of just and earnest which has the effect

... of singing comic songs to a sad tune" (Cunliffe 190). Indeed, the tale abounds in comic exaggerations: the wolf dies of a heart attack, the pigs organize a revolutionary war and light with rocket launchers and machine guns. Also one cannot forget about the author's caveat stating that no actual wolves had been hurt during the writing process. Garner is an observant student of the Mark Twain school of deadpan humor following his master's emphasis on puns, wordplays, straightfaced exaggeration and hilarious incongruity of style (Cunliffe 206). The author's use of the term "porcinistas" fashioned after the term "Sandinistas" or the reference to the wolfs "gunboat tactics" while the whole story takes place on land increase the tale's comic effect Garner also chose to recast a children's story as a tale of a revolution, thereby commingling a bedtime tale with the contents of a history book. Suffice it to refer to the use of such terms as "manifest destiny," "internal affairs" and "socialist democracy." While the original version was clearly intended for children, the reworked story demands an adult audience. The story teaches the value of environmental consciousness as the pigs who lived in harmony with their surroundings defeated the carnivorous wolf. It also echoes the victory of the community over the individual and the defeat of the core by the periphery. TTLP is a true reflection of the PC world where hitherto highly esteemed assumptions such as the basic values of American democracy and the capitalistic system undergo a serious challenge as the excellence of the Euro-American ideal is threatened by the onslaught of mediocrity and infantilism (Hughes 193). My second choice is the PC version of the all time favorite "little Red Riding Hood." like in the previous story, the author leaves the principal elements intact until the absurd ending, in which the lumberjack about to 133