Review of Mark Twain’s “How to Tell A Story”- The American humorous story
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Review of Mark Twain’s “How to Tell A Story”:
The American humorous story In “How to Tell a Story” by Mark Twain, he attempts to explain how one should tell a “humorous” or funny story. He also goes on about the how an American humorous story differs from a European comic or witty story. Twain explains that when one tells a humorous story, the manner in which the story is told is much more important then the actual content. The humorous story is told gravely and the teller does their best to obscure the fact that there is anything funny about the story. Rambling or a longwinded explanation of irrelevant facts is often used to conceal the “nub” or punch line at the end of the story. Finally, quite possibly the most important characteristic of an American humorous story, the pause that is a recurring feature through out the story. This review will examine how Twain uses these principals in “How to Tell a Story” explaining the art form that is the American humorous story. The first characteristic of how to tell a humorous story is in the teller’s demeanor when telling the story. They must remain serious, straight-faced, dull-witted, etc. as to not lead on to how funny the story may actually be. Twain explains the difference between telling a comic and humorous story with “The Wounded Soldier”. When told as a comic story the reader uses energetic voices to depict different characters and trivial name
2 calling “you mean his head, you booby” (Twain, 13) which brings light to impending nub. Where as the same story as told by a “dull-witted farmer who has just heard it for the first time” (Twain, 13) becomes humorous, because the listener does not know when or if there will be a punch line to it. Twain explains how this dim-witted manor of telling a story adds to the humor with “The Golden Arm” as well. Twain suggest that the narrator of the story is an uneducated black man just by the way he tells the story, “Once ‘pon a time dey wuz a monsus mean man”
Review of Mark Twain’s “How to Tell A Story”:
The American humorous story In “How to Tell a Story” by Mark Twain, he attempts to explain how one should tell a “humorous” or funny story. He also goes on about the how an American humorous story differs from a European comic or witty story. Twain explains that when one tells a humorous story, the manner in which the story is told is much more important then the actual content. The humorous story is told gravely and the teller does their best to obscure the fact that there is anything funny about the story. Rambling or a longwinded explanation of irrelevant facts is often used to conceal the “nub” or punch line at the end of the story. Finally, quite possibly the most important characteristic of an American humorous story, the pause that is a recurring feature through out the story. This review will examine how Twain uses these principals in “How to Tell a Story” explaining the art form that is the American humorous story. The first characteristic of how to tell a humorous story is in the teller’s demeanor when telling the story. They must remain serious, straight-faced, dull-witted, etc. as to not lead on to how funny the story may actually be. Twain explains the difference between telling a comic and humorous story with “The Wounded Soldier”. When told as a comic story the reader uses energetic voices to depict different characters and trivial name
2 calling “you mean his head, you booby” (Twain, 13) which brings light to impending nub. Where as the same story as told by a “dull-witted farmer who has just heard it for the first time” (Twain, 13) becomes humorous, because the listener does not know when or if there will be a punch line to it. Twain explains how this dim-witted manor of telling a story adds to the humor with “The Golden Arm” as well. Twain suggest that the narrator of the story is an uneducated black man just by the way he tells the story, “Once ‘pon a time dey wuz a monsus mean man”
Cited: Twain, Mark. “How to Tell a Story”. American Literature Since the Civil War. Created edition. McGraw-Hill, 2011. 12-15. e-Book.