For the literary theorist and philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin, the carnivalesque is both the description of a historical phenomenon and the name he gives to a certain literary tendency. Historically speaking, Bakhtin was interested in great carnivals of medieval Europe. He saw them as occasions in which the political, legal and ideological authority of both the church and state were inverted — albeit temporarily — during the anarchic and liberating period of the carnival. Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin (November 17, 1895 – March 7, 1975), a Russian philosopher and literary scholar, wrote influential works of literary and rhetorical theory and criticism. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of Earth; the term continent here referring to a cultural and political distinction, rather than a physiographic one, thus leading to various perspectives about Europes precise borders. ... An ideology is a collection of ideas. ... Swabian-Alemannic carnival clowns in Wolfach, Germany A carnival is a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus and public street party, generally during the Carnival Season. ...

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The carnival was not only liberating because - for that short period - the church and state had little or no control over the lives of the revellers, although Terry Eagleton points out this would probably be 'licensed' transgression at best. But, its true liberating potential can be seen in the fact that set rules and beliefs were not immune to ridicule or reconception at carnival time; it 'cleared the ground' for new ideas to enter into public discourse. Bakhtin goes so far as to suggest that the European Renaissance itself was made possible by the spirit of free thinking and impiety that the carnivals engendered. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin (November 17, 1895 – March 7, 1975), a Russian philosopher and literary scholar, wrote influential works of literary and rhetorical theory and criticism. ... A church building (or simply church) is a building used in Christian worship. ... A state is a set of institutions that possess the authority to make the rules that govern a society, having internal and external sovereignty over a definite territory. ... Terry Eagleton (born in Salford, England, on February 22, 1943) is a British literary critic and philosopher. ... Transgression refers to an action that breaks some code or set of rules, that is, goes across or against basic assumptions or norms. ... Raphael was famous for depicting illustrious figures of the Classical past with the features of his Renaissance contemporaries. ...

Bakhtin recognises that the tradition of carnival dwindled in Europe following the Renaissance and the eventual replacement of feudalism with capitalism. As a result, he says, the public spirit of the carnival metamorphosed into the 'carnivalesque': that is, the spirit of carnival rendered into literary form. The person who, existing on the cusp of this social upheaval, most fully represented this spirit was François Rabelais, and the book which holds the greatest purchase on Bakhtin's imagination is Rabelais' Gargantua and Pantagruel. The comic violence, bad language, exaggeration, satire, and shape-shifting which fill this book are, for Bakhtin, the greatest example of carnivalesque literature. Ever concerned with the liberation of the human spirit, Bakhtin claimed that carnivalesque literature — like the carnivals themselves — broke apart oppressive and mouldy forms of thought and cleared the path for the imagination and the never-ending project of emancipation. Raphael was famous for depicting illustrious figures of the Classical past with the features of his Renaissance contemporaries. ... Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste. ... For other uses, see Capitalism (disambiguation). ... François Rabelais François Rabelais (ca. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The World According To Ronald Reagan - a Finnish satirical poster from 1984 Satire is a technique of writing or art which exposes the follies of its subject (for example, individuals, organizations, or states) to ridicule, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ...

Bakhtin suggests that carnivalesque literature also became less common as the increasingly privatised world of modern, individualistic capitalism took hold. However, he points to some notable exceptions: most importantly Fyodor Dostoevsky, but also (in a brief note) Ernest Hemingway. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (Russian: Фёдор Миха́йлович Достое́вский, Fëdor Mihajlovič Dostoevskij, sometimes transliterated Dostoyevsky ) (November 11 [O.S. October 30] 1821 – February 9 [O.S. January 28] 1881) is considered one of the greatest Russian writers, whose works have had a profound and lasting effect on twentieth-century fiction. ... Ernest Miller Hemingway aka Papa (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short story writer, and journalist. ...