preview

The Satirical Theme of The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

Decent Essays
Open Document

Satire with a funny twist. In the novel The Princess Bride, William Goldman satirizes both fairy tales and the standard literary process through his characters and their actions. Westley, a poor farmer, falls in love with the far from perfect maiden, Buttercup, but has to sail away in order to find his fortunes. Years later, Buttercup, thinking that Westley abandoned her, is forcibly engaged to Prince Humperdinck, a cruel and calculating man. Vizzini, Fezzik, and Inigo, three mysterious kidnappers, abduct the princess in hopes of causing war between the great nations of Guilder and Florin. These events and characters mirror those in a common fairy tale, but with many twists to them. The author, William Goldman, uses both his role as the …show more content…

By portraying himself as an editor for the novel, Goldman interjects his personal thoughts into the novel. In the very beginning of the novel he adds parentheses and tells the reader that he will continue to include parenthetical references throughout the novel (46). Even though this is taboo, Goldman gives little regard to the literary industry’s rigid limitations, implying the belief that the writing process should not be serious and structured; it should in fact be free-flowing and enjoyable. Lastly, Goldman goes on to criticize the literary process by having the ability to step outside of the fairy tale as the editor and comment in a critical perspective. When Goldman removes a soliloquy that S. Morgenstern had to put in this fairy tale he explains that the “previous book was bombed by the critics [because it did not include this soliloquy] and didn’t [sell] beans” (223). Goldman, through his writing, implies that the literary industry is so narrow-minded that they constantly attack those who disagree with the accepted writing style. This mockery implies that the literary industry rules reflect its inability to adjust to a changing society. By acting as both the writer and the editor, William Goldman creates a satirical work that implicitly critiques the literary industry.
Likewise, Goldman’s portrayal of his characters mocks the tropes

Get Access
Related
Get Access