Marriage Humour and its Social Functions, 1900-1939

Authors

  • James Snell University of Guelph

Abstract

Using the jokes published in a popular, middle-class Canadian magazine, this article examines the depiction ofmarriage and of spousal relations in the early twentieth century. The humour concentrated particularly on thewife or prospective wife, playing an increasingly prescriptive role for both male and female behaviour withinmarriage. Marriage humour acted as a social control mechanism in response to the changing public and privatestatus of women.

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Published

1986-04-01

Issue

Section

Original Research