Wit and Wisdom of Juha

My first impression upon picking up Tales of Juha was that I was worried I would be unable to connect with classic Arab folk humor. Arab nations are not only very geographically separated from what I am used to, but they are also very far separated in terms of culture. This is even seen in many of the different conflicts that erupt between Arabic nations and the United States just based on cultural differences. The lifestyle difference are tremendous, and for this reason I was worried that the stories of Juha would not apply to me in the slightest.

However, I believe I’ve enjoyed the stories in Juha more than any other collection the rest of the semester. Looking at this first “Wit and Wisdom” section of the collection, I realized that there are many similarities in the wit of Arab folk humor and that of modern day American wit.

For instance, there is a story in Tales of Juha where a man’s house is robbed, and everyone begins to tell him all the things he did wrong, and the ways he could have prevented it. The man exclaims, “Isn’t it the thief who should get the blame? Or do you think maybe he isn’t to blame at all?” This was humorous to me, because I can see many similarities to situations here in the United States where people are blames for other people’s actions or mistakes. A more crude example is the issues that have been brought up in the government about rape, like when a police officer in Canada blamed a woman’s rape for her promiscuity.

This leads me to another observation of my reactions to Tales of Juha. The reason most of the stories are humorous aren’t because we like what they talk about, but because they tell the truth. One thing I have noticed during this course is that most of the things we find humorous are those that have some element of truth under them, even if it’s not something people are happy with or proud of. Juha very much exemplifies this, as almost every story has an heir of truth about it, usually trying to convey a message.

In one story, Juha is asked where one should walk in a funeral procession, before or after the coffin. Juha replied that as long as one isn’t in the coffin, it doesn’t matter. This is humorous to us because it is true. It reminds us of the common message that it is a waste of time to worry about all the small things, and that we should be thankful to be alive.

Another comparison I saw in these stories to our own humor is laughing at the stupidity or arrogance of others. One story in particular that was very relatable was one where Juha claims he consulted with a donkey. A man is shocked, asking since when could a donkey talk and express its opinion. Juha responds, “You see and hear it all the time. Aren’t there any number of two-legged donkeys who talk?” This is easily translatable to our humor, as a donkey is used as a metaphor for someone who is seen as an arrogant but ignorant person.

I found it interesting that I could relate to almost every story in the first section of Tales of Juha, and that I could find so many more commonalities in the stories than differences between Arab humor and Americans’. There were a few differences in lifestyle, (I mean, not everyone has a donkey here like they seem to there), but for the most part, all of the differences were at least understandable. There really seemed to be no real barrier preventing comparison between classic Arab with and the modern wit we use in our country today. Perhaps in the next few sections of Tales of Juha, I might be able to find some distinct differences in the humor I am used to in the United States and those within Juha.