Humor in Mark Twain's Fiction: A Seminar Presentation by Dr. Mohammad Osman and Certificate Award Ceremony
On April 25, 2018, the Language Research Center at King Khalid University hosted a seminar featuring a presentation by Dr. Mohammad Osman. The presentation, titled "Humor in Mark Twain's Fiction," explored the prominent use of humor in the works of this renowned American author.
Dr. Osman began his discussion with an introduction to Mark Twain, invoking Ernest Hemingway's quote from 1935, “All modern American Literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.” This quotation underscored Twain's substantial influence on American literature.
Dr. Osman then delved into the distinctions between humor and satire, defining humor as an element that provokes laughter and amusement, while satire uses ridicule, sarcasm, and irony to spotlight vices, abuses, and shortcomings. He elaborated on how Twain employed both humor and satire in his writing, often reflected through the engaging characters, vibrant dialogues, unexpected events, and clever choice of words in his works.
Dr. Osman concluded his presentation by acknowledging Twain's enduring legacy, asserting that Twain's celebrated status as a central figure in American literature remains as strong today as it was during his lifetime.
Following the insightful seminar, a Certificate Award Ceremony was held to honor all seminar presenters for the academic year 1438-39, recognizing their valuable contributions to the ongoing scholarly dialogues at the university.
