I realize that this might seem the ulimate of oxymorons to some,but I wanted to discuss Lewis' use of humor in The Problem of Pain. There were several moments throughout the book, mostly towards the beginning, when I just had to set it down and laugh. Perhaps I just have an odd sense of humor, but we'll see...
The first such case I found may not be humor as much to others as it seems to be to me. It is in the very first chapter when Lewis is discussing the fear of the uncanny. He says, "Most attempts to explain the Numinous presuppose the thing to be explained- as when anthropologists derive it from fear of the dead, without explaining why dead men (assuredly the least dangerous kind of men) should have attracted this particular feeling." Lewis' side note pointing out the ridiculousness of fearing the dead just struck me as funny.
A second example in chapter two when Lewis is talking about divine omnipotence, "If you choose to say 'God can give a creature free-will and at the same time withold free-will from it' you have not suceeded in saying anything about God: meaningless combinations of words do not suddenly acquire meaning simply because we prefix to them the two other words 'God can'."
In the third chapter when Lewis is describing his own morality upon entering university, he compares himself thusly, "...of chastity, truthfulness, and self sacrifice I thought as a baboon thinks of classical music."
Upon looking these citations which I find humorous, I think that what I am trying to bring into focus isn't an outright attempt at humor but something I find humorous in the way it is said. Most of these quotes, when I read them, I was mostly amused because of how ridiculous the comparisons seemed which is probably exactly what Lewis intended. Still who doesn't think a baboon trying to understand classical music conjures a funny picture?
The first such case I found may not be humor as much to others as it seems to be to me. It is in the very first chapter when Lewis is discussing the fear of the uncanny. He says, "Most attempts to explain the Numinous presuppose the thing to be explained- as when anthropologists derive it from fear of the dead, without explaining why dead men (assuredly the least dangerous kind of men) should have attracted this particular feeling." Lewis' side note pointing out the ridiculousness of fearing the dead just struck me as funny.
A second example in chapter two when Lewis is talking about divine omnipotence, "If you choose to say 'God can give a creature free-will and at the same time withold free-will from it' you have not suceeded in saying anything about God: meaningless combinations of words do not suddenly acquire meaning simply because we prefix to them the two other words 'God can'."
In the third chapter when Lewis is describing his own morality upon entering university, he compares himself thusly, "...of chastity, truthfulness, and self sacrifice I thought as a baboon thinks of classical music."
Upon looking these citations which I find humorous, I think that what I am trying to bring into focus isn't an outright attempt at humor but something I find humorous in the way it is said. Most of these quotes, when I read them, I was mostly amused because of how ridiculous the comparisons seemed which is probably exactly what Lewis intended. Still who doesn't think a baboon trying to understand classical music conjures a funny picture?
posted by Aynsley at 2:21 PM
2 Comments:
Insofar as Lewis humor...? I think it was a good subject to bring up. In "The Problem of Pain," he does bring it up. Also, in the little bit of "Mere Christianity" I have read he brings it up in his intro. I don't exactly get what his comment on the baboons means, but I like Lewis style of integrating humor in his writings.
His books tend to be very serious, so by integrating humor, it breaks up the monotony of the book. It mixes it up.
Also, for the person who is searching out Christianity, it helps them feel comfortable in reading Lewis. It helps them relax, when the occassional dry joke is thrown out there.
I believe that Lewis, in directing his writings to the sort of "everyman" he himself desired to be considered, used humor to convey simply what a long and pedantic explanation would have eventually achieved at the cost of alienating his audience. Though Lewis' writing is far less disconserting- some of his lampoons of human nature remind me of Jonathan Swift's great satire "Guliver's Travels," which, at the time of its publication was considered to be the actual travel log of a ship's doctor (and that is where the satire takes a grim and tragic turn).
Lewis uses the ridiculous to bring home his arguments with alarming speed. I believe Aynsly is right on when she identifies this as one of the most effective weapons in Lewis' considerable rhetorical arsonal.
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