Have you ever read a book and laughed at something that made you think afterwards? This is called thoughtful laughter. Thoughtful laughter is when a situation utilizes humor to provoke reflection. Candide and a Clockwork Orange both demonstrate thoughtful laughter but in different ways. The authors use of satirical humor contributes to this.
In Volataires Candide, there are endless examples of thoughtful laughter, however the one that is recognized immediately is that of the character by the name of Pangloss. Pangloss is an unremitting optimist. No matter what happens, his view is the same. His philosophy is that they live in the best of all possible worlds. As the story , Voltaire reveals a horrid truth to the audience. Pangloss is found by Candide and Pangloss appears to be a homeless beggar. Pangloss then reveals he has syphilis. Now here is where the humor gets a little extreme and weird. Candide begins to remark on the horrid state of Pangloss ,however Pangloss says that this is for the best. Pangloss has another theory that everything that happens is for the best. He rationalizes that since the transmission of the syphilis could be traced back to the New World, and Christopher Columbus also brought back chocolate from the New World, all had worked to the best possible ends. This will make one laugh till tears are produced because it is such a ridiculous anecdote. “How can syphilis be for the best” one might ask. Even though chocolate, has been brought, that doesn’t extinguish the serious fire problem that is syphilis.
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Candide’s laughter is light laughter that appeals to the heart, while A Clockwork Orange’s laughter is dark laughter that appeals to intellect. Both novels exploit its Satirical humor in different ways, one light one