A linguistic analysis of the comedic novels of Graham Greene and George Orwell

This study examines the linguistics of humor and point of view in third-person and first-person comedic novels of Graham Greene (Our Man in Havana and Travels with My Aunt) and George Orwell ( Keep the Aspidistra Flying and Coming Up for Air). Specifically, it uses theories and classifications of humor with linguistic features such as foregrounding, modality, verb tense and aspect, anaphora, and deixis to determine how linguistic elements support development of humor and point of view.;The study uses chapters selected by a panel of readers who chose passages for humorous content. Two chapters, or "episodes," from each novel are analyzed for humor and linguistic features that merge with narrator and character development, and speech and thought presentation.;The study found that the most significant linguistic contributions to humor and point of view were modal verbs, which strengthened development of comic characters; and deixis, verb tense and aspect, which helped establish narrator and character control of point of view.;This study indicates that linguistic criticism of comedic prose fiction can point to narrator and character control of humor and point of view, thus enhancing our appreciation of literary texts. In showing that this kind of work is viable, and providing a mechanism for adding depth to traditional literary analysis, it also suggests that linguistic analysis can be a helpful method of teaching students to study and value literature.