Hneri Bergson.docx

Hneri Bergson.docx

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HneriBergson

Laughter:

AnEssayontheMeaningofComic

Preface

Whatdoeslaughtermean?

Whatisthebasalelementinthelaughable?

Whatcommongroundcanwefindbetweenthegrimaceofamerry-andrew,aplayuponwords,anequivocalsituationinaburlesqueandasceneofhighcomedy?

Whatmethodofdistillationwillyieldusinvariablythesameessencefromwhichsomanydifferentproductsborroweithertheirobtrusiveodourortheirdelicateperfume?

Thegreatestofthinkers,fromAristotledownwards,havetackledthislittleproblem,whichhasaknackofbafflingeveryeffort,ofslippingawayandescapingonlytobobupagain,apertchallengeflungatphilosophicspeculation.Ourexcuseforattackingtheprobleminourturnmustlieinthefactthatweshallnotaimatimprisoningthecomicspiritwithinadefinition.Weregardit,aboveall,asalivingthing.Howevertrivialitmaybe,weshalltreatitwiththerespectduetolife.Weshallconfineourselvestowatchingitgrowandexpand.Passingbyimperceptiblegradationsfromoneformtoanother,itwillbeseentoachievethestrangestmetamorphoses.Weshalldisdainnothingwehaveseen.Maybewemaygainfromthisprolongedcontact,forthematterofthat,somethingmoreflexiblethananabstractdefinition,--apractical,intimateacquaintance,suchasspringsfromalongcompanionship.Andmaybewemayalsofindthat,unintentionally,wehavemadeanacquaintancethatisuseful.Forthecomicspirithasalogicofitsown,eveninitswildesteccentricities.Ithasamethodinitsmadness.Itdreams,Iadmit,butitconjuresup,initsdreams,visionsthatareatonceacceptedandunderstoodbythewholeofasocialgroup.Canitthenfailtothrowlightforusonthewaythathumanimaginationworks,andmoreparticularlysocial,collective,andpopularimagination?

Begottenofreallifeandakintoart,shoulditnotalsohavesomethingofitsowntotellusaboutartandlife?

Attheoutsetweshallputforwardthreeobservationswhichwelookuponasfundamental.Theyhavelessbearingontheactuallycomicthanonthefieldwithinwhichitmustbesought.

I

ThefirstpointtowhichattentionshouldbecalledisthatthecomicdoesnotexistoutsidethepaleofwhatisstrictlyHUMAN.Alandscapemaybebeautiful,charmingandsublime,orinsignificantandugly;itwillneverbelaughable.Youmaylaughatananimal,butonlybecauseyouhavedetectedinitsomehumanattitudeorexpression.Youmaylaughatahat,butwhatyouaremakingfunof,inthiscase,isnotthepieceoffeltorstraw,buttheshapethatmenhavegivenit,--thehumancapricewhosemouldithasassumed.Itisstrangethatsoimportantafact,andsuchasimpleonetoo,hasnotattractedtoagreaterdegreetheattentionofphilosophers.Severalhavedefinedmanas“ananimalwhichlaughs.”Theymightequallywellhavedefinedhimasananimalwhichislaughedat;forifanyotheranimal,orsomelifelessobject,producesthesameeffect,itisalwaysbecauseofsomeresemblancetoman,ofthestamphegivesitortheuseheputsitto.

HereIwouldpointout,asasymptomequallyworthyofnotice,theABSENCEOFFEELINGwhichusuallyaccompanieslaughter.Itseemsasthoughthecomiccouldnotproduceitsdisturbingeffectunlessitfell,sotosay,onthesurfaceofasoulthatisthoroughlycalmandunruffled.Indifferenceisitsnaturalenvironment,forlaughterhasnogreaterfoethanemotion.Idonotmeanthatwecouldnotlaughatapersonwhoinspiresuswithpity,forinstance,orevenwithaffection,butinsuchacasewemust,forthemoment,putouraffectionoutofcourtandimposesilenceuponourpity.Inasocietycomposedofpureintelligencestherewouldprobablybenomoretears,thoughperhapstherewouldstillbelaughter;whereashighlyemotionalsouls,intuneandunisonwithlife,inwhomeveryeventwouldbesentimentallyprolongedandre-echoed,wouldneitherknownorunderstandlaughter.Try,foramoment,tobecomeinterestedineverythingthatisbeingsaidanddone;act,inimagination,withthosewhoact,andfeelwiththosewhofeel;inaword,giveyoursympathyitswidestexpansion:

asthoughatthetouchofafairywandyouwillseetheflimsiestofobjectsassumeimportance,andagloomyhuespreadovereverything.Nowstepaside,lookuponlifeasadisinterestedspectator:

manyadramawillturnintoacomedy.Itisenoughforustostopourearstothesoundofmusic,inaroomwheredancingisgoingon,forthedancersatoncetoappearridiculous.Howmanyhumanactionswouldstandasimilartest?

Shouldwenotseemanyofthemsuddenlypassfromgravetogay,onisolatingthemfromtheaccompanyingmusicofsentiment?

Toproducethewholeofitseffect,then,thecomicdemandssomethinglikeamomentaryanesthesiaoftheheart.Itsappealistointelligence,pureandsimple.

Thisintelligence,however,mustalwaysremainintouchwithotherintelligences.Andhereisthethirdfacttowhichattentionshouldbedrawn.Youwouldhardlyappreciatethecomicifyoufeltyourselfisolatedfromothers.Laughterappearstostandinneedofanecho,Listentoitcarefully:

itisnotanarticulate,clear,well-definedsound;itissomethingwhichwouldfainbeprolongedbyreverberatingfromonetoanother,somethingbeginningwithacrash,tocontinueinsuccessiverumblings,likethunderinamountain.Still,thisreverberationcannotgoonforever.Itcantravelwithinaswideacircleasyouplease:

thecircleremains,nonetheless,aclosedone.Ourlaughterisalwaysthelaughterofagroup.Itmay,perchance,havehappenedtoyou,whenseatedinarailwaycarriageorattabled’hote,toheartravellersrelatingtooneanotherstorieswhichmusthavebeencomictothem,fortheylaughedheartily.Hadyoubeenoneoftheircompany,youwouldhavelaughedlikethem;but,asyouwerenot,youhadnodesirewhatevertodoso.Amanwhowasonceaskedwhyhedidnotweepatasermon,wheneverybodyelsewassheddingtears,replied:

“Idon’tbelongtotheparish!

”Whatthatmanthoughtoftearswouldbestillmoretrueoflaughter.Howeverspontaneousitseems,laughteralwaysimpliesakindofsecretfreemasonry,orevencomplicity,withotherlaughers,realorimaginary.Howoftenhasitbeensaidthatthefullerthetheatre,themoreuncontrolledthelaughteroftheaudience!

Ontheotherhand,howoftenhastheremarkbeenmadethatmanycomiceffectsareincapableoftranslationfromonelanguagetoanother,becausetheyrefertothecustomsandideasofaparticularsocialgroup!

Itisthroughnotunderstandingtheimportanceofthisdoublefactthatthecomichasbeenlookeduponasamerecuriosityinwhichthemindfindsamusement,andlaughteritselfasastrange,isolatedphenomenon,withoutanybearingontherestofhumanactivity.Hencethosedefinitionswhichtendtomakethecomicintoanabstractrelationbetweenideas:

“anintellectualcontrast,”“apalpableabsurdity,”etc.,--definitionswhich,evenweretheyreallysuitabletoeveryformofthecomic,wouldnotintheleastexplainwhythecomicmakesuslaugh.How,indeed,shoulditcomeaboutthatthisparticularlogicalrelation,assoonasitisperceived,contracts,expandsandshakesourlimbs,whilstallotherrelationsleavethebodyunaffected?

Itisnotfromthispointofviewthatweshallapproachtheproblem.Tounderstandlaughter,wemustputitbackintoitsnaturalenvironment,whichissociety,andaboveallmustwedeterminetheutilityofitsfunction,whichisasocialone.Such,letussayatonce,willbetheleadingideaofallourinvestigations.Laughtermustanswertocertainrequirementsoflifeincommon.ItmusthaveaSOCIALsignification.

Letusclearlymarkthepointtowardswhichourthreepreliminaryobservationsareconverging.Thecomicwillcomeintobeing,itappears,wheneveragroupofmenconcentratetheirattentionononeoftheirnumber,imposingsilenceontheiremotionsandcallingintoplaynothingbuttheirintelligence.What,now,istheparticularpointonwhichtheirattentionwillhavetobeconcentrated,andwhatwillherebethefunctionofintelligence?

Toreplytothesequestionswillbeatoncetocometoclosergripswiththeproblem.Buthereafewexampleshavebecomeindispensable.

II

Aman,runningalongthestreet,stumblesandfalls;thepassers-byburstoutlaughing.Theywouldnotlaughathim,Iimagine,couldtheysupposethatthewhimhadsuddenlyseizedhimtositdownontheground.Theylaughbecausehissittingdownisinvoluntary.

Consequently,itisnothissuddenchangeofattitudethatraisesalaugh,butrathertheinvoluntaryelementinthischange,--hisclumsiness,infact.Perhapstherewasastoneontheroad.Heshouldhavealteredhispaceoravoidedtheobstacle.Insteadofthat,throughlackofelasticity,throughabsentmindednessandakindofphysicalobstinacy,ASARESULT,INFACT,OFRIGIDITYOROFMOMENTUM,themusclescontinuedtoperformthesamemovementwhenthecircumstancesofthecasecalledforsomethingelse.Thatisthereasonoftheman’sfall,andalsoofthepeople’slaughter.

Now,takethecaseofapersonwhoattendstothepettyoccupationsofhiseverydaylifewithmathematicalprecision.Theobjectsaroundhim,however,haveallbeentamperedwithbyamischievouswag,theresultbeingthatwhenhedipshispenintotheinkstandhedrawsitoutallcoveredwithmud,whenhefanciesheissittingdownonasolidchairhefindshimselfsprawlingonthefloor,inawordhisactionsarealltopsy-turvyormerebeatingtheair,whileineverycasetheeffectisinvariablyoneofmomentum.Habithasgiventheimpulse:

whatwaswantedwastocheckthemovementordeflectit.Hedidnothingofthesort,butcontinuedlikeamachineinthesame