No doubt about it, Jane Austen was the master of many elements of writing — skills that any author in her right mind would admire and envy: incredible characterization, showing not telling, cohesive plotting, deft social commentary, romantic tension, subtext, smooth narration and an unparalleled use of irony. She employed all of these to make pointed statements about the proper (and improper!) behaviors of others, to wield her wit in the instruction of manners and morality and to show the pathos and human drama that lay just beneath the surface of so many societal interactions.

But, for fear of this post sounding like a fiction-writing textbook, let me just say that — for me — an appreciation of the technical skill of her novels came later. What came first — and foremost — was the comedy.

I could personally name dozens of scenes in Pride and Prejudice alone where the comedy really shined and where I literally laughed aloud reading them and, later, watching them onscreen. Mr. Collins introducing himself to Mr. Darcy at Netherfield… Mary Bennet’s “instructive” lessons in morality at the breakfast table… Darcy and Elizabeth sparring over what it meant to be an “accomplished” lady… Elizabeth and Lady Catherine having that little chat in the prettyish wilderness of Longbourne… Yeah. I’ll bet you all can think of your favorites, too!

I really liked this article by an instructor at St. John’s College on the two main types of humor used in Pride and Prejudice. The instructor wrote:

“The first is the very subtle, particular humor which usually comes out in the dialogue of the novel, especially from Mr. Bennet, Elizabeth, and Darcy. The second is a more obvious kind of awkward, ‘slapstick’ comedy as seen in Mrs. Bennet jumping between nervous breakdowns and excitement over a new rich man in town, or Mr. Collins’ incessant bowing. The former type of humor is mostly found between people in a relationship, and is used to show the level of familiarity and comfort that exists in relationships, such as that between Elizabeth and Darcy and between the Gardiners. The latter humor is used by Austen to mock and ridicule certain people and situations that she disapproves of, such as people who base their lives and relationships on flattery, or people who are too full of themselves.”

The article went on to talk about Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and how, to avoid making the novel overly depressing, “Austen has Mr. Bennet endowed with wit towards his wife, which sometimes even comes out as endearment for her, but this is all that he is capable of showing.” On the other hand, Mrs. Bennet is “ignorant of her ridiculousness and shallowness, and even her husband’s disregard for her. It is perhaps better, then, that she is so naïve and self-focused.” Sad, but true…

The instructor also made an interesting point about Wickham and Lydia that I’d never considered before. There’s a scene in the book when Mr. Bennet says how proud he is of Wickham and defies even Sir William Lucus to produce a more valuable son-in-law, which I’d always taken to mean the most entertaining because Wickham was such a liar and narcissist that there would always be some amusing drama afoot. I still think my interpretation is at least partially right, but I appreciated the instructor’s take on it, too: “I had never understood why Mr. Bennet called Wickham his favorite son-in-law, but when I think that they are both stuck with two identical women, it makes sense for Mr. Bennet to have a certain endearment for him and the lifetime of headaches ahead of him.” LOL! Ohhhh, poor Mrs. Bennet with all of her nervous flutterings. Will Lydia soon follow suit?

And then, of course, there’s the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth, which seems to be based on humor in a way that Jane and Bingley’s relationship is not (however sweet and earnest the two of them may be). The instructor suggests that one of Austen’s main points is that “the greatest happiness in a marriage requires a sense of humor between two equals.” In observing the happiest married couples of my acquaintance…I’ll admit, I’m inclined to agree .

Do you think having a good sense of humor is an important part of a relationship? And what is one of your favorite comedic scenes from any of Jane’s books?

In honor of the release of my second digital romantic comedy, Double Dipping, I’m giving away two PDF copies to commenters today – winners’ choice – of either that new ebook or my first romantic comedy, On Any Given Sundae (excerpts from each are in the Delightful Divergents section of The Writer’s Block). Let me know in the comment section if you’d prefer DD or OAGS. If you have them both already, please let me know that, too! Aside from my heartfelt gratitude, if I draw your name, I’ll send you a pretty A Summer in Europe t-shirt instead!

**Open internationally — I’ll have the random drawing after midnight tonight, CST, and post the winners’ names here in the morning. **