Twain William Faulkner Calvinist Humor Ernest Hem anael West in American Literature Flannery OConn

Michael Dunne

Louisiana State University Press Baton Rouge

Published by Louisiana State University Press Copyright 2007 by Louisiana State University Press All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America First printing Designer: Barbara Neely Bourgoyne Typeface: Chapparel Pro, text; Avenir, display Printer and binder: Thomson-Shore, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Dunne, Michael, 94 Calvinist humor in American literature / Michael Dunne. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-807-3260-9 (alk. paper) . American wit and humorHistory and criticism. 2. American literatureHistory and criticism. 3. Calvinism in literature. 4. Wit and humorReligious aspects Christianity. 5. Comic, TheReligious aspects. I. Title. PS430.D86 2007 87.009dc22 2006039570 The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.

Contents

Preface

vii

. Calvinist Humor

2. Calvinist Humor and the American Puritans: The Just Hand of God 22 3. Nathaniel Hawthorne: That Would Be a Jest Indeed 4. Herman Melville: In No World but a Fallen One 64 82 43

5. Mark Twain: The Trouble about Special Providences 6. William Faulkner: Waiting for the Part to Begin Which He Would Not Like 0 7. Ernest Hemingway: Isnt It Pretty to Think So? 8. Nathanael West: Gloriously Funny 45 28

9. Flannery OConnor: Funny because It Is Terrible 0. Calvinist Humor Revisited Notes 95 205 84

62

Works Cited Index 27