The Joke by Hilaire Belloc (1899)
A young man's life is ruined when he tells a joke that offends his employer and leads to his dismissal. He then tries to make a living by telling jokes but fails miserably. The story explores the consequences of one's words and the difficulties of making a living through humor.
By Hilaire Belloc · First published 1899 · Genre: Satire, Comedy, Social Commentary · 2,043 words
First lines
There are two kinds of jokes, those jokes that are funny because they are true, and those jokes that would be funny anyhow. Think it out and you will find that that is a great truth. Now the joke I have here for the delectation of the broken-hearted is of the first sort. It is funny because it is true. It is about a man whom I really saw and really knew and touched, and on occasions treated ill. He was. The sunlight played upon his form. Perhaps he may still flounder under the light of the sun, and not yet have gone down into that kingdom whose kings are less happy than the poorest hind upon the upper fields.
What this Textopian page supports
The Joke is listed on Textopian as a short story by Hilaire Belloc, dated 1899 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Hilaire Belloc
- Date: 1899 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Comedy, Social Commentary, Fiction, Historical Fiction
- Length: 2,043 words
- Structure: 1 section, 30 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Joke by Hilaire Belloc
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Joke?
- How does this short story by Hilaire Belloc fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Satire first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- Four Beasts In One by Edgar Allan Poe
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- Fate by Hector Hugh Munro
- The Mappined Life by Hector Hugh Munro
- The Seventh Pullet by Hector Hugh Munro
Genres
- Satire — The narrative employs humor and irony to critique social norms and class distinctions, particularly through the exaggerated portrayal of the protagonist's misunderstandings.
- Comedy — The story is structured around humorous situations and the protagonist's comedic misadventures, highlighting the absurdity of social hierarchies.
- Social Commentary — The text provides a critique of societal structures and class systems, using the protagonist's experiences to reflect on the complexities and pretensions of social rank.
- Fiction — The work is a fictional narrative that constructs a story around invented characters and events to explore its themes.
Tags
Satire · Comedy · Social Commentary · Critique of Society · Dark Humor · Absurdity · Irony · Sarcasm · Wit · Intellectualism · Philosophical · Existential