Mark Twain

Katherine Oster

Lit and Civ II

Mark Twain Humor

1.     Advertisements  page 3

a.     The humor from this piece comes from reading the fine print, which I found to be both unique and unusual.

2.     Liars page 138

a.     This piece shows Mark Twain’s quick wittiness and the insulting nature of his humor.

3.     Old age page 171

a.     I enjoyed the pun on the word dye, which reflects how Mark Twain could often be perceived as rude.

4.     Punishment page 189

a.     This piece reveals how Mark Twain was a troublemaker when he was young; perhaps this is how he gained inspiration for characters like Tom Sawyer.

5.     Youth page 255

a.     This piece is relatable because teenagers often think that they know more than their parents; however, as they get older they see otherwise.

Sixth Conversation with Mehran

Mehran and I decided to meet in the library entrance and walk over to the McCalisters to get some food. I had been waiting for him for ten minutes when I got a text message that said here, and I looked around for him in the lobby of the library. I then decided to go outside and look for him, and there he was. I could tell he was a little bit annoyed because the first words he said were, “I have been waiting for ten minutes.” I quickly apologized and told him that I had been waiting inside the library lobby because I thought that is what he meant by the entrance. Miscommunications like this are usually funny, but I could not help but to feel bad.

We then went to McCalisters because I was so hungry, and I could not help but to bring up Thanksgiving. I asked Mehran if he had any plans for the break, and he said that he was just going to stay here and catch up on his sleep and his work. I could tell as he was saying this that he was a little bit sad to not be going anywhere during the break, which is completely understandable since he has not seen his family in years. I would have invited him to have Thanksgiving with my family; however, I couldn’t since I was going to Colorado during the break.

Since I could tell the Thanksgiving topic upset Mehran, I quickly decided to ask him about his last weekend. He instantly looked happier as he described his hunting trip to Oklahoma. I then asked where in Oklahoma, and he said that he wasn’t really sure if it in Oklahoma; after all, it could have still been Texas because they look the look the same. Mehran also mentioned that he was a good hunter and he tried to remember the name of the bird that he hunted. I am not an experienced hunter at all, so I guessed every bird that I could think of. This included pigeons and quails, but I eventually got it right when I guessed ducks. I was so excited, and we both laughed. Mehran then said could use one of the ducks he hunted in place of a Thanksgiving turkey. 

Fifth Conversation with Mehran

            This past week, I had been trying to get ahold of Mehran in order to have our fifth conversation all week; however, he never got back to me. I was growing concerned because he was ignoring all of the text messages I sent him, which was very unusual for Mehran. Just as I was about to give up and send a search party to look for him, he returned one of my text messages, explaining that he had been sick all week. It took us awhile, but we were finally able to schedule a time that worked with both of our busy lives. 

            I began our conversation by wishing Mehran a happy birthday, which caused Mehran looked completely surprised. He then asked me how I knew that his birthday was last week. I imagine the thought that crossed his mind was something along the lines of “My conversation partner is so creepy, and she must stalk me in her free time.” This thought made me laugh, but I simply reminded him that he had told me during our last conversation. Mehran looked relieved to know that I was not insane after all.

            However, one of the most interesting parts of our conversations was when Mehran asked me why we always met in 1873, and why I never changed up our meeting places. I initially joked with Mehran by saying it was just because I was a boring conversation partner. He laughed at this, but I could tell he wanted an actual answer. Therefore, I then explained to him that I just get used to routines; for example, I inevitably sit in the same spot every single day even when I can chose any spot in the room. I then promised Mehran that I would chose a more interesting place to meet next week.

            Mehran and my conversations generally revolve around light conversation topics like the weather or holidays. However, we also always manage to talk about something interesting during each of our conversations. This is because Mehran offers a new perspective on almost every topic and makes me think about things in a different way. Therefore, I always look forward to our meetings.

Tales of Juha

Tales of Juha is based on classic Arab folk humor and is focused on the central character Juha. Juha takes on a variety of forms, but one characteristic stands out throughout this section, which is his unbelievable wit. He is never fazed and instead he always manages to respond brilliantly, which made this reading quite pleasurable.

            Juha’s seemed to have a response for everything, and all of Juha’s responses were unexpected; therefore, the tales were enjoyable on account of this quick wit. When monks ask Juha how many stars are in the sky, Juha does not miss a beat and replies that there are as many stars as there are hairs on his donkey, and he challenges the monks to “count the stars and then the number of hairs on [his] donkey” if they do not believe him (28). When they ask how one could count how many hairs are on Juha’s donkey, Juha questions the monks by asking how “can you count the number of stars in the sky” (28). This is one of my favorite tales in the whole section because the normal person would have just guessed how many stars there were or simply said that he or she did not know, but not Juha. Juha is very bold and thinks in ways different than the average person, which causes me to admire him.

            Juha’s quick wit also allowed him to be able to successfully criticize people, but instead of being offended, they just laugh. When Juha is asked to count the mad men in the town, Juha claims that this is impossible, but he could count the sane people because “there aren’t too many of them” (32). Juha also refuses to lend someone his donkey because the donkey “told” Juha that it refuses to go. The man then tells Juha the donkeys cannot speak, and Juha says that there are any number of [two-legged] donkeys who talk” (41). Although some people might view Juha as an arrogant character because of these insults, I personally perceive him as being brilliant. He has the ability to outsmart and outthink anyone, and his ability to create incredible comebacks. These are truly abilities that I wish I possessed.

            When I first started reading Tales of Juha I was slightly hesitant because I was unsure about how much I would enjoy it. However, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the book when I got into the tales. In fact, I found myself admiring Juha for his clever and bold ways and even envying him a little bit. Overall, I really am enjoying Tales of Juha so far.

Simply not Funny

If anyone asked me to describe Hokum, a lot of words would come to mind. Confusing and sad are just a few; however, humor is not one of them. In fact, I would not even know that the book was supposed to be humorous if it was not for the fact that “an anthology of African-American humor” was written on the cover. I never laugh while reading Hokum because it deals with issues that are simply not funny.

Adventure by Hughes deals with the issue of segregation, and that if one wants adventure they should go to Alabama or Mississippi to “battle with the White Skins” (169). Hughes even compares the situation in the south to that of a battle between the Indians and Whites; however, Hughes believes that the “Savage South has got the Wild West beat a mile” (170).  I understand the piece was a satire and contained a lot of sarcasm, but to me it was not funny even in the slightest.

The Lesson by Bambara also presented humor, which I did not entirely understand. In fact, I felt depressed while reading the piece because it reflected the unnecessary extravagance of the wealthy while others have so little. One of the stores had a paperweight that cost $480; when Miss Moore asked Junebug if they had “a calendar and a pencil case and a blotter and a letter opener on [his] desk at home,” Junebug simply replied that he does not even have a desk” (104). The extravagance simply continues with toy sailboats costing $195, and $35 for a toy clown. Suddenly, the five dollars that the children had originally received seems insignificant. One of the darkest ideas in the story is when Sugar questions what kind of society spends as much on a toy as “it would cost to feed a family of six or seven” (197). Clearly, this question is rhetorical.

Personally, I do not find Hokum funny or enjoyable to read; in fact, it is rather uncomfortable to read. The novel is a darker humor that addresses many serious issues that is designed to make the reader stop and question what they had just read. Simply put, it is not the humor I was anticipating.