Literary notes about guffaw (AI summary)
The term "guffaw" frequently appears in literature to convey an explosion of uninhibited, often boisterous laughter that underscores a character’s amusement or the absurdity of a situation. Its usage spans from the immediate, physical reactions—like the throwing of a potato in a sudden burst of mirth [1]—to more refined, yet equally vivid depictions that intertwine humor with character insight, as in Joyce’s portrayals featuring cleft palates [2] or Tolstoy’s deep bass rendition [3]. In works by authors such as Jack London and Dostoyevsky, the word serves to mark moments of levity or ironic detachment, underscoring how laughter can punctuate serious, even dramatic, contexts [4] [5]. This versatile term not only marks the sound of joyful abandon but also highlights the social and emotional layers that animate interactions in diverse narrative settings.