Beverly Lamb

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

1968

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department / School

English

Abstract

On any list of Canadian writers, Stephen Leacock's name would have to appear at the top because of his achievements in humor. He has won for himself a unique place in the Canadian scene as economist, historian, critic, essayist, lecturer, and teacher, but above all, as a writer and speaker who is the incarnation of humor. Born in the south of England, at Swanmoor in Hampshire on December 30, 1869, he moved, in 1876, with his family to Canada. For some time he had a tutor for his schooling but when his father left the family, Stephen was sent to Upper Canada College in Toronto. . . . In a humorous way, Leacock wrote several stories or articles related in some way to detective literature. However, before any analysis of Leacock's detective story parodies or his other works relating to detective literature can be made, it is first necessary to examine the detective story framework upon which Leacock's parody is based and the humorous techniques that he uses to destroy this framework. Chapter Two will deal, therefore, with an examination of Leacock's humor, and Chapter Three will recount the essential or set elements found in detective story fiction. Chapter Four will then consider his parodies of the detective story and Chapter Five will contain a discussion of his articles or stories that criticize the detective story, but not in parody form. [Excerpted from the introduction]

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Leacock, Stephen Butler, 1869-1944 -- Criticism and interpretation
Canadian literature

Format

application/pdf

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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