The Kugelmass Episode By Woody Allen - 2537 Words

The Kugelmass Episode â€Å"The Kugelmass Episode† is a very amusing short story, with humor resulting from the employment of devices such as satire and irony along with a network of absurdities and incongruities. In the story, Woody Allen takes the reader on a journey through time and literature. Professor Kugelmass is a middle-aged teacher at City College in New York City, who is unfulfilled and bored with his life. Wanting to have an affair to escape his unhappy marriage, he seeks the help of a magician-entertainer who can transport him into any piece of literature. From there on out, Allen provides a hilarious look at what happens when living out one’s fantasy becomes a reality. Throughout the novel, there is an obvious disparity between anxious, balding Kugelmass and the glamorous and romantic life that he wishes to lead. It begins with Kugelmass’ description of his family: he had â€Å"two dull sons† and a wife that â€Å"let herself go and swell up like a beach ball† (Allen 348). His judgment toward his family is comical because he is so disgusted by his wife who has â€Å"let herself go† when in reality he is aging and doing the same. There seems to be an incongruity between how Kugelmass sees himself and how others see him. This first dialogue in the story that involves Kugelmass belittling his wife effortlessly serves the purpose of creating a distance between the reader and the main character so that he/she is able to laugh at his mishaps throughout the story. The reader must notShow MoreRelatedThe Kugelmass Episode843 Words   |  4 PagesMWF 10-10:50 3/8/13 In the story The Kugelmass Episode, Woody Allen takes the reader on an exciting journey through time and literature that keeps you begging for more. Professor Kugelmass is a middle-aged teacher at City College in New York City. He seems to be unfulfilled and bored with his life as a whole. The real world is far too drab for his liking and so he sets out to change his life but ultimately ends up turning his world upside down. Allen uses colorful dialogue to first disconnect