Schema theory as instrument of analyzing humour in long narratives

Abstract

The article studies humorous lines in long narratives. Basic provisions of the Schema Theory were used to carry out linguistic analysis of such narratives. The main thesis of this theory is the influence of the reader’s background knowledge on his/her perception and understanding of new information, therefore the article describes the process of interaction between the information in the narrative and the background knowledge of the reader, and impact of this knowledge on understanding humour incorporated in the narrative.