Laughter (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Henri Bergson
- First Published: 1900
- Type of Work: Philosophical
- Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Essays
- Subjects: Social issues, Emotions, Wit or humor, Human behavior, Comedy, Satire, Laughter
Critical Evaluation:
Laughter, Henri Bergson’s profound essay on the nature and source of laughter, grows out of his concern with nineteenth century mechanization of life. For Bergson life is ever in flux through time and space, and any divergence from this principle of flux, any attempt to fix or concretize life, is removed from life. Bergson’s famous principle of élan vital, the vital life force that underlies all living things, leads to the central motif of his theory of comedy, that “the mechanical encrusted upon the living” promotes laughter. Any...
[The entire page is 1679 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
