THE LAST HERO BY TERRY PRATCHETT: DECONSTRUCTING THE EPIC ARCHETYPE THROUGH HUMOUR

Abstract

In his novels, Terry Pratchett has poked fun at almost everything, and through his sense of humour, has offered us his hilarious and critical view of human nature and the world around us. There is hardly a topic - philosophical, metaphysical or what have you, that his brilliant satire hasn't put under the microscope, but what is most astonishing is that his  instrument of choice is the parody of epic imaginary worlds fiction. His critical analysis of reality through the distorted mirror that is fantasy fiction is perhaps, putting aside his sensational humour, Pratchett's trademark. With this in mind, instead of giving a general summary of his work, or his view of reality, this article will focus on his perception of literature, specifically, epic literature and the role of the hero. We will be looking at The Last Hero, from his extensive saga, Discworld.