THE FUNCTION OF HUMOR IN 19TH CENTURY BRITISH NOVELS

Abstract

Humor in 19th-century British novels serves a multifaceted role, intertwining social critique, character development, and entertainment. This article explores how humor functions as a tool for satire, offering a critique of Victorian society's class systems, moral rigidity, and social conventions. Authors such as Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Oscar Wilde use humor to expose the contradictions of their time, often providing both a source of levity and a vehicle for deeper moral and societal reflection. Humor also plays a key role in characterization, revealing the complexities of relationships and personal motivations, while simultaneously entertaining readers and providing relief from the novel's more serious themes. Through the careful integration of wit, irony, and farce, 19th-century British novels demonstrate how humor can be both a means of entertainment and a method of social commentary, making it an essential aspect of the literary works of the period.