Wit and Humour

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The chapter presents humour through two different texts: a one-act play about a greedy family and a folktale about a potter who becomes famous by accident. Both texts use comic situations, misundersta…

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It is a one-act play because the action is compact, the number of characters is limited, the setting is single, and the plot moves quickly towards a surprise ending. The whole story is shown in one co…

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The main characters are Mrs. Amelia Slater, Mrs. Elizabeth Jordan, Henry Slater, Ben Jordan, Victoria Slater, and Abel Merryweather. Mrs. Slater and Mrs. Jordan are sisters, Henry and Ben are their hu…

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Mrs. Slater is described as a vigorous, plump, red-faced, vulgar woman who is ready to use blunt talk to get her own way. Her behaviour shows greed, control, and lack of sensitivity.

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Mrs. Jordan is a stout, complacent woman with an irritating air of always being right. She appears calm, but she is also greedy and eager to claim her share of her father's property.

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Both sisters pretend to be caring about their father, but their real concern is his property and money. Their false grief, quick plans to divide belongings, and selfish arguments create comedy and sha…

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The title is ironic because the 'dear departed' is not actually dead. Abel Merryweather is only asleep or drunk, and the family’s behaviour toward him exposes their greed and hypocrisy.

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Mrs. Slater does this because grandfather is lying dead upstairs, and she does not want the Jordans to see Victoria in coloured clothes during mourning. The instruction also shows Mrs. Slater’s concer…