Richard Fleck's Short Story Priscilla And The Wimps

They say that bullies rule everything, but the only thing they really rule is a sad life. Bullies are always depicted as strong, tough and menacing megalomaniacs you shouldn’t mess with, otherwise you’ll be introducing your face to their fist. But in this story, not so much. Richard Peck’s short story “Priscilla and the Wimps” is a high level comedy that uses comic characters, comic wordplay, and the incongruity theory to engage the reader in a humorous way.
First of all, the use of comic characters shows a level of high comedy. Priscilla’s only friend, Melvin, is depicted to be “one of the smallest guys above midget status ever seen” ( Peck 344 ). This is an obvious exaggeration of a short character. He isn’t that short, of course, but the author made that observation to pair with Priscilla, who “was sort of above everything…” ( Peck 344 ). It’s a big contrast and is able to garner a few laughs from the audience. …show more content…
Think of the name Priscilla Roseberry. You’d think that name would belong to someone kind and gentle, but you would “be light years off” ( Peck 344 ). The fact that you’re guess is light years away shows an extreme hyperbole, which is a part of comic wordplay. It’s not that it’s off by a bit, your off by the distance of the sun. And think about Melvin again. He’s shown to be “one of the smallest guys above midget status”, which is another hyperbole ( Peck 344 ). These big exaggerations will cause snickers and giggles from the audience as they think about the real life