University/Organization
Department of English
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts
Department of English
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts
Title
Laughter, Humor, and the Failure of Language in Elif Batuman’s The Idiot
Synopsis
This paper examines laughter as a marker of power in Elif Batuman’s The Idiot (2017). Through close reading and humor theory, it argues that—contrary to protagonist Selin’s belief—language is not the novel’s primary betrayer. Instead, larger social forces, mediated through both laughter and language, generate disconnection and harm. As a nuanced rhetorical response, laughter exposes social imbalances that destabilize trust in communication and reinforce Selin’s powerlessness.