1993. "The true test of comedy is that it shall awaken thoughtful laughter." Choose a novel, play, or long poem in which a scene or character awakens "thoughtful laughter" in the reader. Write an essay in which you show why this laughter is "thoughtful" and how it contributes to the meaning of the work.
A true piece of comedy is said to evoke "thoughtful laughter" which causes one to think intellectually about a joke or subject. In "The American Dream", Edward Albee promotes thoughtful laughter by presenting scenarios where intellectual thought must be applied. Albee uses various techniques such as tone and diction to show how the manipulation of power and contrast of idealistic values promotes laughter.
Mommy is proven to be masculine; she is given more power than Daddy. This represents the idea that women have more power than men shows a "backward society" , which contrasts the idealistic value that men have more power than women. Albee uses this technique to promote laughter through a series of events such as Mommy forcing daddy to laugh at her jokes or forcing Daddy to answer the door upon her command. When Daddy is hesitating to answering the door, Mommy states "You're indecisive, you're a woman" ( Albee 18), this shows that Mommy is well aware of the lack of coherent thought that women possess but also that Daddy's inability to be more masculine is a flaw in his character, as if being a women makes him less authoritative. It is evident that Mommy is strong and firm in her actions, and Daddy is weak and has no control. Through this contrast of idea, the audience can clearly see how the manipulation of power promotes laughter.
Mommy and Daddy commonly address each other in a child-like tone. When Mommy goes shopping and ends up buying the same hat twice just to feel that she bought a "beige colored hat" rather than a "wheat colored hat", Daddy applauds at her immature behavior when she throws a fit in the store. The idea that Daddy would promote childlike behavior presents how Mommy needs attention at all times. This promotes thoughtful laughter because the audience is forced to think about how once one has grown up, society does not address each other in a childish manner and constantly nag for attention. In this sense, Mommy is once again given more power, and Daddy is forced to encourage her immature behavior; he is less authoritative in this respect and has no control.
Albee uses diction and tone to show how Mommy is given more power than Daddy. Through a series of events that contrast to idealistic values, he promote "thoughtful laughter" that displays the manipulation of power in a backwards society.
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ReplyDeleteSorry, first comment was posted incomplete! Here is the real thing: I think your writing is good but i think there are a few problems with your answering of the prompt. The prompt wants the answer to be about how "laughter is 'thoughtful' and how it contributes to the meaning of the work". You are good when you are pointing out how it's thoughtful but i don't think you explained the "laughter" part as well. If you explained why it was funny and then show how it is thoughtful laughter, then i think you would answer the question more completely. You could also work on anwsering the "so what" part of the meaning of the piece. Make sure that is included so you answer all parts of the question.
ReplyDeleteI think you missed the point of the question. "Thoughtful laughter", as I took it, is something funny but not in the toilet humor, it makes you laugh because laugher is evoked when two seemingly different things are put together, your mind, expelled this juxtaposition by laughing. Like comparing someone's ego to the size of Texas. May not have made you laugh, but its amusing, you find it so because ego and texas has nothing to do with each other. Atleast, thats one of the theories of comedy that we read about. So thoughtful laughter should be something amusing yet allows insight into something that we don't see. Here, in your essay, you proved Mommy's ability to emasculate Daddy but you really didn't point out where the thoughtful laughter really is.
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