ABSTRACT
A joke, you see, is not a thing, but a process. And the process, although it comes so natural to playful minds, is not simple. I can analyze any joke you bring me, if you will leave it overnight—for the task requires reflection—and give you in the morning thechemical formula upon which it is composed. And it will always be composed of unpleasant experiences playfully enjoyed, combining in various orders, degrees and proportions with pleasant experiences. That is all that a joke is or can be. But that is a great deal Anything whatever that might be unpleasant if taken seriously, combined with anything that might for any reason be accepted as pleasant, may turnout to constitute the point of a joke.
