Abstract

The logical structure of parody has four major components: The parody denotes the work it parodies ; The parody is equated with its target, i.e., the parody is offered as, and is meant to be treated as, an instance of a correct copy of its target; The parody "captures" its target. That is, the parody resembles its target such that if the reader perceives the target "in" the parody , then this perception is justified by the two works in question; The parody "conflicts" with its target. That is, the parody differs from the target such that it fails to do what the target purports to do. Parody's logical structure includes two further components: The parody is deliberately crafted such that it fulfills conditions 1-4; The reader is meant to perceive that the parody meets conditions 1-5. ;'Parody' is used to refer to a rather wide range of works. All our uses of 'parody' relate to this logical structure. This structure distinguishes parody from other forms of expression; the various kinds of parody are distinguished from one another by the different ways they express the elements of this structure. ;A parody expresses a claim about its target, but the parody does not state this claim. This claim has a cognitive content that is difficult to translate into other forms of expression. A parody's capacity to express this claim and the nature of the claim it expresses are directly dependent on the logical structure described here and they can be explained in terms of that structure. ;Parody is also an important form of aesthetic expression. A parody can express the difference between success and failure as an artwork. Again, the parody's capacity to express this difference and the nature of the difference it expresses arise from the structure described here and they can be explained in terms of that structure