STYLISTICS OF LAUGHTER: EXPLORING COMIC LANGUAGE IN THE FICTION OF LEACOCK, TWAIN, AND NARAYAN

Abstract

Humour, as a powerful mode of cultural and linguistic expression, plays a pivotal role in literature. The
works of Stephen Leacock, Mark Twain, and R.K. Narayan stand as prominent examples of how
language can be intricately used to evoke laughter while also delivering sharp social commentary. This
study, titled "Stylistics of Laughter: Exploring Comic Language in the Fiction of Leacock, Twain, and
Narayan", is motivated by the need to understand how comic vision is linguistically constructed across
different cultural contexts. The choice of these three authors—representing Canadian, American, and
Indian literary traditions—enables a cross-cultural investigation of humour through stylistic and
linguistic frameworks. The research is grounded in stylistic theory, particularly the principles of
linguistic foregrounding, pragmatic incongruity theory, and discourse analysis. These theories provide
a systematic lens to examine how humour functions through wordplay, irony, narrative voice, and
syntactic structures. The primary objectives of this study are to identify the distinctive linguistic
techniques used to generate humour, to compare their stylistic patterns, and to evaluate how cultural
contexts shape their comic narratives. The research employs a qualitative methodology based on close
textual analysis of selected short stories and narrative episodes from the three authors. Elements such
as figurative language, irony, dialogue, code-switching, and narrative tone are critically examined. The
findings reveal that while Leacock leans heavily on absurdity and parody, Twain employs dialect-based
humour and satire rooted in American socio-political realities. Narayan, on the other hand, integrates
subtle irony and culturally embedded linguistic humour. Despite their geographical and cultural
differences, all three writers use stylistic devices that foreground humour to critique societal norms,
human folly, and everyday life. This study highlights the universality of humour and affirms the value
of stylistic analysis in uncovering the linguistic artistry behind literary comedy.