Popular Culture Review Vol. 8, No. 2, August 1997 | Page 149

Humor in William Faulkner 145 and some of the changes can be logically explained by a sense of increased awareness. For example, in The Town Flem wanted Monk convicted of bootlegging rather than of pornographic distribution because he believed bootlegging waS a more respectable crime. In The Mansion, we discover that Flem wanted Monk to convince Mink to try to escape so that more years would be added to his sentence. The story of Mink and Houston, on the other hand, presents real contradictions. Why change the pound fee? Why change Houston’s first name? Whatever the reason for the contradictions, as contradictions they lead to the lack of feeling or denial of reason and logic that accompanies them. Sim ilarly, the humor involved in the humiliation of Clarence Snopes seems to imply a contradiction. Clarence Snopes, a stereotypical southern politician, and his political machine are set up as invulnerable. Yet, they are finally defeated, not only defeated, but easily defeated. Then what was all the fuss about? Clarence's defeat and that question serve as models for the entire trilogy. What was all the fuss about? The question is a comic on e, because there was a lot of fuss, and it is also a question that like a Zen koan leaves us puzzled and blank, but ready to reexamine the novels. Finally, it is a question that invites an examination of the purpose of this kind of humor in the work of Faulkner, this mindnumbing, blankness-inducing form of humor. One explanation suggests itself. Faulkner's humor is related to that of the 'Theater of the Absurd and the Black Humorists. The contradictions and absurdities of Faulkner's humor mirror those of an absurd and contradictory universe. The only response to such absurdity is laughter. Such an explanation has much validity. Faulkner was admired by many existentialists and his work demonstrated many affinities with their absurdist views, but a complete explanation of this kind of humor in Faulkner must go beyond its mimesis of an absurd universe. Similarly, a complete explanation must go beyond the old theory of comic relief which claims that an audience's emotions cannot be sustained at a high pitch for long periods of time. Consequently, the porter scene, for example reduces the pitch of emotion temporarily so that it can later be built higher. It would seem to follow that the further the pitch can be reduced, the higher