WASP

What is the author's style in WASP by Steve Martin?

Asked by
Last updated by Cat
1 Answers
Log in to answer

Parody is adopting a particular way of writing, or telling a story, or point of view, and making it seem ridiculous in order to contest its basic assumptions or judgments. Martin's four major characters are, at least in part, parodies of the types they represent. As W.A.S.P. types, Mom, Sis, and Son are less thoroughly parodied than is Dad. Martin often drops his parody and absurdist treatment of Mom, Sis, and Son, presenting them in brief vignettes as realistic characters, driven by touching hopes and fears. Martin reserves the play's most thoroughgoing parody for the character of Dad, undoubtedly because, within the logic of the play, Dad is the primary transmitter and upholder of the values Martin is criticizing.