This essay actually really resonated with me. My grandfather used to tell a lot of jokes to us and taught me the 'finer points' of comedy. I really do understand what Smith meant when she said they were comedy snobs, because my grandfather tried to educate my family when it came to comedy. We were often made to watch comedians like Eddie Izzard, Lewis Black, and anyone he thought was 'good enough' for us (this did include Monty Python's Flying Circus). When Smith said that she regretted not seeing the body, I think she wanted to show the person she had become.
I really do relate to this as well - my grandfather passed away about two months before my high school graduation. I honestly thought he would live until I was well out of college, especially since he was such a healthy man. In a way, Smith wanted to make sure that her father was proud of her. This is something I can relate to completely, because out of everyone in my family, I also wanted to gain my grandfather's pride about anyone else's. I think that Zadie Smith regrets not seeing the body because it left her without closure.
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Add George Carlin and Bill Maher on that last, and you got my grandpa. I think she got closure when she tasted her fathers ashes, and whenever she sees her brother on stage, his same pessimistic view like her fathers.
ReplyDeletethat's great that you were able to connect personally to this story. Harvey also reminds me of a family friend of ours, he was really good at using jokes and comedy to lighten up a crappy situation. His divorce for instance.
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