Analysing the Power of Humour to Enhance Critical Communication

Authors

  • Seema Ghangale

    Symbiosis Institute of Operations Management, Symbiosis International (Deemed) University, Lavale, Pune 412115, India
  • Madan Jagtap

    Symbiosis Institute of Operations Management, Symbiosis International (Deemed) University, Lavale, Pune 412115, India
  • Carmeline Sequeira

    MIT School of Humanities, MIT Art, Design and Technology University, Rajbaugh Loni Kalbhor, Pune 412201, India
  • Sneha Date-Ranade

    MIT School of Humanities, MIT Art, Design and Technology University, Rajbaugh Loni Kalbhor, Pune 412201, India
  • Pravinkumar Govind Shastri

    Sandip Institute of Technology and Research Centre, Sandip Foundation, Trimbak Road, Mahiravani, Nashik 422213, India
  • Kishor Baburao Dalve

    Institute of Management and Research (IOMR), MGM University, N-6, CIDCO, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar 431003, India
  • Atul Bansilal Patil

    MIT School of Humanities, MIT Art, Design and Technology University, Rajbaugh Loni Kalbhor, Pune 412201, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.11374
Received: 30 July 2025 | Revised: 9 October 2025 | Accepted: 10 October 2025 | Published Online: 8 December 2025

Abstract

Humour is not only a source of entertainment but also a way to present sensitive issues in a lighter manner. The present research explores the humour literature in the Indian cultural context. It attempts to analyse the content of select short stories written by Khushwant Singh to find how humour becomes a handy instrument for an author to convey opaque messages in a manner palatable to the taste of even those who cannot handle the spice of grave discussions based on religion, ethnicity, and cultural evaluations. Humour helps highlight unspoken issues and break down unsaid and biased rules so that it does not seem like a violent revolutionary act. Moreover, it discusses how creatively using humour and embedding it in prose can help achieve the desired effects on the reader' s mind. It also outlines how an analysis of a fictional piece of literature can help enhance critical communication. This research is a content analysis highlighting linguistic theories. These theories explain how humorous effects arise from script opposition, conversational implications, and face-saving strategies by combining literary and linguistic approaches. The study shows how humour softens conflict and communicates sensitive issues effectively; a perspective not explored in earlier studies. This evidence-based study on the power of humour has multifaceted aims, such as providing thematic comprehension, identifying humour strategies, and using this analysis to practice communicating critical messages with an agile tone.

Keywords:

Humour; Literary Tool; Social Follies; Irony; Narrative Style; Critical Communication

References

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How to Cite

Ghangale, S., Jagtap, M., Sequeira, C., Date-Ranade, S., Shastri, P. G., Dalve, K. B., & Patil, A. B. (2025). Analysing the Power of Humour to Enhance Critical Communication. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(12), 1777–1793. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.11374

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 12 (December 2025): In progress

Article Type

Article

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Copyright © 2025 Seema Ghangale, Madan Jagtap, Carmeline Sequeira, Sneha Date-Ranade, Pravinkumar Govind Shastri, Kishor Baburao Dalve, Atul Bansilal Patil

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.