Tales of Juha, Part 3

     The last few chapters of Juha were relatively unentertaining for me. I did not find myself particularly moved either joyously or angrily by any of them. I found this to be strange, since I enjoyed the rest of the book so much. I was still interested in the reading, but I didn’t have any emotional reactions to it.

     I did appreciate the lessons behind the tales presented in these chapters, however. For example, I appreciated the chapter about boastfulness and false pride. The stories in that chapter, I imagine, were (and perhaps still are) used to teach children the meaning of and value behind being humble. I appreciated this because this showed how the character of Juha was transformed from just an entertainment pawn into an educational tool.

     I discussed previously how Juha is a blank slate character that’s used to teach us about a different culture. I feel that in the final chapters of the book, the author is trying to show us why Juha is an unforgettable character. Not only is Juha a comedian in all forms, he is also a valuable instrument in the development of youth. Juha is used to teach children what is appropriate in the culture he’s presented in: from humor to values to day-to-day treatment of others.

     Although Juha may not exist in every culture around the world, the author is right: we all have a Juha. It’s important to remember our versions of Juha so that we don’t forget about our core selves. What do we value in life? How should we conduct ourselves? What is appropriate? All of these are questions that are answered through lessons that are learned in childhood and adolescence. I feel that we learn best when we can observe situations and therefore see causes and outcomes of situations. I think that’s why we use stories to teach children morals and right from wrong. We use a story to plant easy-to-remember ideas in children’s minds and then discuss them to develop our own sense of morals.

     Overall, I enjoyed Tales of Juha. I found it an interesting book to read, and a valuable lesson on and look into the Arab world. Although I am not be an expert on Arab humor or values by any means, I feel as though I’m at least a small step closer to understanding the culture after reading this novel.

     Looking to the future, I think this would be a valuable book to keep in the Literature and Civilizations humor curriculum. Dr. Williams was asking us how to approach certain forms of “taboo” humor (such as sexist and other derogatory jokes), and I think this is a good introductory tool to use when breaching the subject. Students can observe how this type of humor is used to shape worldviews and values in youth and further into adulthood. I think looking at it from that academic standpoint would make the humor easier and less offensive to discuss. The class could then breach the subject without having to go out looking for derogatory jokes and offend classmates by trying to justify their selections. As long as a healthy discussion can be facilitated, I think it’s a great thing to try. What is an honors class if it doesn’t allow you to observe and question provocative ideas?