Loved One Written by Evelyn

¶ … Loved One written by Evelyn Waugh, can be found the classic English sense of humor if only the reader knows where to look. As the reader peruses the short novel the humor is understated, sometimes of a biting character, cynical to the reading ear and can be imagined (even as it is being read) as if the character involved is saying the words with tongue tucked firmly in cheek. Coinciding with the undercurrent of the English style of humor, was a very evident bias towards those things of English character.

"You never find an Englishman among the under-dogs thanks to the example we've set. There are jobs that an Englishman just doesn't take" (pg 11). This snobbishness (if that could be used to describe such an English attitude) coupled with the dry, sardonic style of wit or humor used throughout the book gave a tone to the writing that one had to be careful not to fall prey to.

It would have been quite simple to fall under the effects of such a spell and upon reaching the conclusion of the book be at a point where everything American would be suspect, while the English could still be thumbing their respective noses at the young upstarts across the bay, who would not have even recognized the insult for what it was, instead they're job would still be going to work every day, whether that work was acceptable or not to the English way of thinking.

What was equally evident throughout the tome was the English snobbery was not affected in any way, but was meant to be perceived as just a naturally presumed right of the English characters in the book.

So much of the attitude was ingrained into these characters way of life that at least one of them chose to devoid himself of life, rather than live further with the disgrace of being canned. Other characters in the book (though not English) also recognized the importance to these characters the facade maintained by their belief of the superiority of being English borne, which is evidenced by how Sir Francis was treated before finally realizing that he no longer was employed by the film industry. His employers at the studio knew that unless handled properly, a tragic end could be foreseen, and in fact, that was proved out after Dennis discovered Sir Francis hanging by the neck.

Shortly after this scene an excellent example of the sardonic sense of humor used to keep the tone of the book on a very light basis comes about. "Did the Loved One pass over with a rope?

We had a Loved One last month who passed over with electric cord....We had to wind a scarf right up to the chin." (pg 57) To be presented with such a serious subject as death in such an irreverent way, allows the reader to penetrate the author's thoughts in a way not necessarily available when otherwise discussing serious subjects in what is consider a 'normal' way.

Waugh allows the reader to laugh at the characters thoughts and actions, by employing humorous responses to non-humorous situations. An excellent example of this employment can be found towards the end of the book when Dennis is visited by Mr. Joyboy at the Happier Hunting Ground in a state of supreme anxiety.

Instead of evoking words of sympathy from Dennis, Mr. Joyboy is asked "You think that your career will suffer if Dr. Kenworthy learns you have the poisoned corpse of your fiancee in the ice box?" (pg 155). This is such a vast understatement that it induces the reader to laugh at the thought as it is presented.

Yet the English characters in the book (much like real life) take themselves so seriously that many times it is near impossible to discover if they are being sardonic, if they truly feel the way they speak, or if they are sometimes just saying words to verify and evaluate the effects they have on different individuals. On page 157 Dennis wonders if Sir Ambrose is going to be his 'first penitent', even though in actuality Dennis is not even a real cleric as of yet, and does not really intend to be.

One of the funniest parts of the book comes at the very end. Earlier, Dennis had quoted a number of fine examples of the cards that were delivered on a yearly basis to the owners of the pets being interred, buried or burned at the Happier Hunting Grounds. It was as if little Fifi was returning from the dead on an annual pilgrimage of thankfulness for the care and love of former employers.

Upon discovering that Aimee in a fit of despair had taken her own life, and that neither he nor Mr. Joyboy would be able to have a further communications with her, Dennis accomplishes the ultimate in English irony which was to cremate her body before it was discovered by the authorities.

The humorous part of the situation was that Dennis was able to set in motion an annual card to be delivered to Mr. Joyboy that read "Your little Aimee is wagging her tail in heaven tonight, thinking of you." (page 163).

It was not that the tone of the book was totally humorous that made the book fun to read. Rather, it was that the reader was often surprised by how funny serious situations could be made if written about in a sardonic manner. This light side could be seen in the main character (Dennis) even when he was first being introduced to Aimee, who would later become the tragic figure of suicide.

On page 91, these two characters have their first meeting alone and Dennis is listening intently to Aimee as she describes her ascension into the world of Whispering Glades, a funeral parlor. She tells him how she wrote her thesis on 'Hairstyling in the Orient' and how she had practiced permanents, facials and waxes throughout her schooling career. He in turn asks her, "And all this time between psychology and art and Chinese, you had the mortuary in view?" In other words, she had studied more than just hairstyling and had ended up being a mortician. Questions such as these allowed Waugh to portray how irreverent Dennis' character was and gave the reader a sense that no matter what the subject, at least the main character would always find something funny in the silver lining.