Cannibalism In The Cars

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Humor Hungry As spoken by Mark Twain himself, “the humorous story is told gravely; the teller does his best to conceal the fact that he even dimly suspects that there is anything funny about it” (“How To Tell A Story”). Cannibalism in the cars develops a horrifying, yet humorous theme concerning men feasting upon human flesh. Through the literary devices of paradox, irony, and satire, Mark Twain orchestrates a chaotic story only to end in a psychotic twist of humor. A paradox, a notorious self-contradictory statement, initiates a sign of comicality. Despite the reasoning from acceptable premises, a paradox leads to a senseless conclusion. “Cheerfulness gave place to grave concern” (“Cannibalism in the Cars”). As cheerfulness usually associates with happiness, grave compares with the meaning of sorrow or pain. “[…] I had only been listening to the harmless vagaries of madman instead of the genuine experiences of a bloodthirsty cannibal” (“Cannibalism in the Cars”). Involved in this sentence poises another paradox. Madman, who embodies the mind of an unbalanced mentality, pairs to the word harmless, as if such ideas become compatible. By executing these paradoxes, Mark Twain humorously expresses his points through absurdity. It foreshadows the conclusion of the storyteller being recognized as a madman.…show more content…
“That I know was the cheeriest hour of my eventful life” (“Cannibalism in the Cars”). During this statement, the situation involves distress as the men stuck in the cars begin to starve. The meaning, far from cheery, creates an ironic tone. “Ah it was like a novel sir – it was like a romance” (Cannibalism in the Cars”). The overall activity of the madman’s story, full of intense horror, portrays a beautiful peace and romance. By finding revolting occurrences as an admirable thing, the mentally psychotic nature of the madman storyteller illustrates

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