I have to say that I find it haunting how well this simple gif encompasses my whole attitude toward reading that lovely morsel of literature we so affectionately call "Comic Relief." I can completely relate to the kitten's plight as the poor soul fights a valiant battle to stay awake. Despite the title, yes, little kitty, it does sometimes seem like the only true relief offered by the book is its ability to lull he reader into a deep slumber. I think the way the kitten slightly blinks and fights back the urge to sleep before faceplanting into his snuggly blanket is a metaphor for the Relaxation Theory that this book so uninterestingly drones on about. When something humorous is about to happen, we often fight to stay aware of what is happening, eagerly expecting the punchline. This is illustrated by the kitten's clear struggle to concentrate and keep a grip on what's going on around him in his little kitten world. According to the theory, when the humor is finally revealed, the listener/reader/observer relaxes because it is relieved of the anticipation of the coming humor and the mind is disengaged. Although the kitten is not experiencing the classic cognitive shift, he is experiencing a consciousness shift of sorts, and the imagery of his nosedive into sleep is a visual analogy for the shift we experience from engagement to disengagement. Hannah, I admittedly am quite jealous of your intellectual superiority as displayed in your choice of a gif that not only serves as an image of solidarity for all of us who are not fans of this ironically not funny book while serving as a visual for the stages of the Relaxation Theory. Well played.
I have to say that I find it haunting how well this simple gif encompasses my whole attitude toward reading that lovely morsel of literature we so affectionately call "Comic Relief." I can completely relate to the kitten's plight as the poor soul fights a valiant battle to stay awake. Despite the title, yes, little kitty, it does sometimes seem like the only true relief offered by the book is its ability to lull he reader into a deep slumber. I think the way the kitten slightly blinks and fights back the urge to sleep before faceplanting into his snuggly blanket is a metaphor for the Relaxation Theory that this book so uninterestingly drones on about. When something humorous is about to happen, we often fight to stay aware of what is happening, eagerly expecting the punchline. This is illustrated by the kitten's clear struggle to concentrate and keep a grip on what's going on around him in his little kitten world. According to the theory, when the humor is finally revealed, the listener/reader/observer relaxes because it is relieved of the anticipation of the coming humor and the mind is disengaged. Although the kitten is not experiencing the classic cognitive shift, he is experiencing a consciousness shift of sorts, and the imagery of his nosedive into sleep is a visual analogy for the shift we experience from engagement to disengagement. Hannah, I admittedly am quite jealous of your intellectual superiority as displayed in your choice of a gif that not only serves as an image of solidarity for all of us who are not fans of this ironically not funny book while serving as a visual for the stages of the Relaxation Theory. Well played.
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