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Humor: Did Someone Smell A Rat, By Dave Barry

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What is Humor?

Humor: What is it? It is a question that many people think they can answer for themselves, but are they correct? Humor is a subjective experience and is interpreted differently by everyone. It is often deeply rooted in culture and varies between societies. Therefore, it is difficult to define humor and even more difficult to explain why something is funny. For example, Dave Barry: Did someone smell a rat? In his writing, Dave Barry uses humor or comedy to make his audience laugh or find him funny. This is done through ridicule and sarcastic comments involving the difficult parts of home ownership like pests or rodents, specifically rats. Topics like house rodents are ordinarily uninteresting but given a sarcastic twist. His …show more content…

An example of sarcasm may be used by comedians, or it may just be a form of humor common to the average person as well. David Barry utilizes sarcasm well in Did somebody smell a Rat? Sarcasm is a form of irony that often involves mocking or cynicism. It is sometimes used to express frustration or annoyance. Sarcasm can also be used to add humor to a situation along with other types of comedy. It often involves exaggerating the opposite of what is being said in order to make a point or poke fun at something. For example, someone may say "That's just great!" in response to something bad that happened when they really mean the opposite. Sarcasm can also be used to show disapproval or disagreement without directly expressing it. The text reads, "Anyway, at the moment we are pest-free as far as I know, unless you count the vast menagerie of cockroaches, mosquitoes, lizards, toads, snakes, etc., that infest every square inch of our tropical paradise." To show their "tropical paradise" is infested with insects and animals that most people wouldn't want in their home, he uses this …show more content…

Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning. It can be used to express humor, surprise, or sarcasm. It is often used to highlight a contradiction or incongruity between what is expected and what occurs. Irony can also be used to express deeper meanings and insights into the human condition. For example, a character in a novel might use irony to express their inner thoughts or feelings about a situation that cannot be directly expressed. This shows that Barry is not strong and conquering enough to get rid of the rat himself. Instead, he calls a different person to do it for him, which is ironic since he knows exactly what to do about Stu, just as he does about all other household problems. This emphasizes Barry's helplessness in the situation and inability to act. The irony of the situation highlights his powerlessness and how he cannot take control of his own

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