The Laugher (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Heinrich Boll
- First Published: 1955
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: The mid-twentieth century
- Setting: Unspecified
- Principal Characters: The narrator, His wife
- Genres: Social realism, Short fiction
- Subjects: Marriage, Jealousy, envy, or resentment, Work or workers, Employment or employees, Satire, Laughter, Comedians, Voice
The Story
In the opening line, the narrator admits to his embarrassment when anyone asks him his profession. He makes a good living as a professional laugher, but he envies people with professions that require no explanation, such as barbers, bookkeepers, and writers. He explains that he has avoided calling himself a laugher for a long time, instead referring to himself as an actor. Gradually, however, the infrequency of other sorts of work, such as mime and elocution, and his love of the truth have forced him to admit that he is a laugher.
He explains that the sorts of...
[The entire page is 1330 words long]
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