Examples Of Humor In Dead End In Norvelt

In the book, Dead End in Norvelt, Jack Gantos uses humor to engage the reader. Jack Gantos turned his life story into a book. He added humor because he knew that some readers would find the book more interesting with humorous text in it. Jack uses many humorous texts in his book. Three examples are, Jack saving a deer by farting, Jack’s reaction to Miss Volker cooking her hands, and Mr. Spizz chasing the Hell’s Angels on a tricycle. The first example of humor in the book Dead End in Norvelt, is when Jack farts to save the deer's life. “. . . landed on an island that was populated by a primate tribe of people who just happened to be called the Hairy Ainus People. The name alone almost made me howl with laughter, but I kept telling myself not to laugh through my mouth, but out the other direction.” (Gantos 82) This is a funny text because it is ironic. He is doing something really meaningful and serious, but he does it by doing something funny and not serious. Jack saving the deer was humorous because it was ironic.

“I felt faint. I staggered back a few steps and by then my nose was spewing like an elephant bathing himself. ‘Please . . . Miss Volker,’ I said with my voice quavering. ‘Please don’t eat your own flesh.’ Oh cheeze-us-crust.” (Gantos 26) This is humorous because Miss Volker is heating her hands up in wax to help her arthritis, and Jack thinks she is trying to melt her body then eat it. His nose starts to bleed everywhere because he is so scared. He thinks he might be next. Jack’s reaction to Miss Volker cooking her hands was humorous because Jack