A Study Of Cultural Features In English Humor

The present thesis attempts to explore the cultural features of English humor in communication through linguistic and pragmatic approaches. After a review of the theories of humor mechanism~, the author brings examples into the scope of pragmalics for analysis. It is found that when the pragmatic analysis is combined ~ith humor theoiy we could have a better understanding of how humor is produced and perceived in ceitain cultural background. It is cultural features that make humor laughable. The author concludes that the study of humor is related whh cultural information. Different cultures give different meanings to humor.