Saki: Humor, Wit And Irony

Saki wrote with style of wit that was like no other. It is perhaps one of his most distinguishing qualities. In “The Approach to Literature: Humor, Wit, Satire, Irony,” J. B. Priestly describes wit and witty writers. “Wit goes to work in quite a different way. It concerns itself with words and ideas rather than with human nature, and it begins by shutting off sympathy. A very witty writer is generally completely cold and unsympathetic- that is, in his work. Anybody who is acquainted with the short tales of “Saki” (H. H. Munro), who was an admirable wit, will realize at once that a little sympathy would ruin those stories” (Priestley 543). This definition describes Saki and his writing perfectly. Author Edward Davison …show more content…
(Birden “Mappening London” 7-8, 13-14). Victorian and Edwardian life play a major role in Saki’s short stories too. He was highly critical of London society during these time periods. However he held a special disdain for the upper class. Birden says “he was an established member of an established class, even though he criticized it”(Birden “Mappening London” 1). His views of Victorian and Edwardian culture also tied into the way he characterized the people in his stories. Saki’s characters are often seen as immoral. This was a reflection of the self-absorbed upper class. These characters present themselves well but at some point either cause trouble or get caught up in it. They are the picture of a rebellious younger generation. They bring with them change and a desire to get out of the constricting Victorian lifestyle. This new sense of freedom is considered by the older generation to be immoral and dangerous (Birden “Mappening London” 2-3). Saki’s use of the uncanny helps to entice the reader leaving them on edge. This was a technique prevalent in many of his stories. Saki was a pioneer in a sense. As Gillen states in essay, …show more content…
Other authors simply found little to no use for it in their works. Saki’s wrote with such seriousness that he never let this use of the uncanny become utter nonsense or silliness. “The Music on the Hill” plays into the idea of the occult when a city-dwelling woman is married off to a man who has a strong distaste of city life. In the woods around her rural home, she finds and tampers with a shrine dedicated to the pagan gods of the woods. From that point on she felt the presence of something supernatural around her property. Saki used supernatural themes quite often especially in regard to sudden plot twists and surprise endings (Gillen 315-316). Saki did live in a time where upper-middle class life in England was mundane and uneventful. Perhaps this is why he had such a passion for wild things and the unconventional. He had an incredible way of writing. Every sentence was alive. His best tricks were often startling. The images he conveyed in his writings were incredibly accurate. By his very nature, he was one to mock and criticize (Pritchett 90-91). Saki never achieved