Comedy is an important aspect in Thomas King’s short...

Comedy is an important aspect in Thomas King’s short story, â€Å"A Short History of Indians in Canada†, as well as Ernest Hemingway’s short story, â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place.† The differing purposes of humour in these two short stories are what separates them in terms of the effect comedy has on the writing. Thomas King integrates satire, a form of humourous ridicule, to convey the inability of the Native population to adapt to white civilization and the demeaning, yet normal opinion that the white men have regarding this issue. Similarly, Jennifer Wallace’s article, â€Å"Tragedy and Laughter† contributes to King’s comedic strategy, as she acknowledges that a serious matter can be presented in an amusing way that allows the audience to gain†¦show more content†¦King uses the comical phrase â€Å"Looking for some excitement?† (203) to express that the white men view this problem as an unusual form of pleasure, w hich seems outrageously nonsensical at first but gives the basis of the principle that will be revealed more noticeable as the story commences. Although a moral involving unfortunate racial stereotypes does not appear to be a comical subject, Wallace presents in her article, â€Å"The definition of tragedy is also determined by the audience response,† (203) which offers insight into King’s subtle, yet effective comedic strategy that allows his audience to engross themselves in the humour of the issue before contemplating the tragic theme. In fact, many writers have articulated the struggles that Natives have experienced since the arrival of Europeans to Canada, but King’s short story has a uniquely creative and clever style that communicates a long running issue in Canada in an amusingly successful manner. Had King presented his goal frankly and non-metaphorically, the audience likely would have responded in a somber way, and would treat the writing just like an y other historical literature they have ever read. Therefore, the strategy of not presenting the context in a tragic matter truly gives the reader an opportunity to realize how comically impractical the stereotyping of Natives really is, and how it should not continue in society. It may not be literally comical, but thisShow MoreRelatedLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesLogical Consequences and Counterexamples ..................................................... 361 3-Valued Logic................................................................................................................................ 362 History of Sentential Logic ........................................................................................................... 367 Review of Major Points ..........................................................................................