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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.
  1. The commissary caught his look, and, flinging the newly-peeled potato into the bowl, uttered a huge guffaw.
    — from Boys of the Light Brigade: A Story of Spain and the Peninsular War by Herbert Strang
  2. THE LOITERERS: (Guffaw with cleft palates.)
    — from Ulysses by James Joyce
  3. Stolýpin gave a deep bass guffaw as he munched a piece of bread and cheese.
    — from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy
  4. some one shouted, and a guffaw of laughter went up.
    — from White Fang by Jack London
  5. “You don’t say she gave it to you?” cried one of the new-comers; he shouted the words and went off into a guffaw.
    — from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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