Let’s get really nerdy for a few minutes. If psychology and analysis are your thing, then this post is for you.
Though too broad to define in one simplistic sentence, humor is, at least for The Improbable Existence of Life After Divorce, a series of snarky remarks, cringy situations, and the theory of incongruity.
In short, TIE of LAD is a tale of two characters—the protagonist, who often comes across as a lovable idiot but who also, when the light begins to shine in his direction, is revealed to truly have a deeper grasp on social understanding than his more sophisticated counterpart; and the supporting character, or deuteragonist (I warned you it would get nerdy), who steals the scene not just because of his snarky wit but also because of his propensity to take everything literally.
Snarky: The protagonist’s flaws (of which there are many) is dissected by the deuteragonist in a matter of milliseconds, and the reflective analysis is spit out at the protagonist’s expense—and to the reader’s delight.
Cringy: Situations with embarrassing potential surround the protagonist. What makes his unfortunate fate bearable for the reader is that, no matter how much humiliation he endures, the deuteragonist stands loyally by his side.
Incongruous: Often, questions posed by the protagonist are perceived on different terms by the deuteragonist and are, thus, answered with incongruous, and inadvertently humorous, responses.
While not tropes, per se, these three forms of humor have held audiences captive and kept them rolling on the floor for centuries. Anyone with an intact funny bone is likely to find The Improbable Existence of Life After Divorce a refreshingly clean dose of comedy.
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