Parody in Blackass
Barrett’s novel is a parody because he essentially upgraded Kafka’s Metamorphosis to bring the intended message forward more clearly. Barett imitates the idea of Kafka’s metamorphosis to depict changes in the human body that are so drastic and abrupt that the old body becomes unidentifiable in the new one.
One notable characteristic of parody displayed in the novel is imitating the subject being parodied. Barett employs imitation even though he attempts to create some differences in the narratives. For instance, in Kafka’s Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa discovers he is a human-sized bug when he wakes up one unremarkable morning. However, Furo Wariboko discovers in Blackass that he has been changed into a white man, yet his buttocks have remained black, giving the movie its name. This transformation from an animal to a race ushers in a slew of artistic additions highlighting how desperately Kafka’s well-loved tale begged modernization for today’s readers.
Another essential trait of parody displayed in Blackass is its ability to be used as satire to address broader political and social trends. Barett employs parody to comment on racial prejudices and social trends. Furo embraces his metamorphosis unlike Gregor, and his transition seems less problematic. He is a recently graduated college student scouring Lagos’s streets for employment. He lacks any sort of cool.
But everything changes when he turns white. He moves up the social ladder in Nigeria without the benefit of intelligence, wealth, or charm. Money, cars, lodging, business prospects, sex, and respect are all handed to him. In Furo’s universe, the race is not a biological construct.
Kafkaesque Elements in the Excerpt from Blackass
Blackass demonstrates Kafkaesque elements when Fuo wakes up one morning as a white man with black buttocks. Similarly, Gregor Samsa, in Kafka’s Metamorphosis, turns into a human bug engaging in various wild things and is not allowed to go outside. Notably, I think Barrett’s novel is comical because Kafka’s novella inspires it. His novel upgrades The Metamorphosis to drive a more relatable and understandable message.
Barett utilizes the metamorphosis concept of Kafka to make his novel comical. Humor can indeed be transferred through parody. When subjected to parody, the audience concentrates on the humorous message as it makes them laugh, but it lessens their inspection of the critique that the message bears.