Misanthropy
Many of the narrators which Leacock creates express a gentler type of misanthropic perspective which is conveyed subtly through imagery. Rather than filling the mouths of characters with humanity-hating dialogue, this technique tends to soften the edge of the misanthropic views “How to Avoid Getting Married” takes the form of an advice to the lovelorn column which very subtly attacks the whole sordid business as a scheme for exploitation:
"Even if you were to send me another dollar, I should still keep the first one, so that no matter how many you sent, the recollection of one first friendship would not be contaminated with mercenary considerations. When I say dollar, darling, of course an express order, or a postal note, or even stamps would be all the same. But in that case do not address me in care of this office, as I should not like to think of your pretty little letters lying round where others might handle them.”
Perspective
Imagery engages for the purpose of humor can be quite effective. It is a way to peel back the lazy layers of conventional viewpoints and expose people to something they see all the time in a way that digs beyond the words used for marketing and reveals some fundamental truths about actions taken at face value:
“A good barber is not content to remove the whiskers of his client directly and immediately. He prefers to cook him first. He does this by immersing the head in hot water and covering the victim's face with steaming towels until he has him boiled to a nice pink. From time to time the barber removes the towels and looks at the face to see if it is yet boiled pink enough for his satisfaction. If it is not, he replaces the towels again and jams them down firmly with his hand until the cooking is finished. The final result, however, amply justifies this trouble, and the well-boiled customer only needs the addition of a few vegetables on the side to present an extremely appetizing appearance.”
Wordplay
One of the more creative ways in which Leacock utilizes the power of imagery is through wordplay. He will on occasion import some nonsensical verbiage into his stories as a means of expressing either an immediate or deep-rooted sense of philosophical bewilderment toward the ways of the world. One such display of a narrator stopping to wax philosophical in such a way is particularly memorable:
“You know, many a man realizes late in life that if when he was a boy he had known what he knows now, instead of being what he is he might be what he won't; but how few boys stop to think that if they knew what they don't know instead of being what they will be, they wouldn't be?
These are awful thoughts.”
Narrative Technique
The controlling force of any of Leaock’s literary works is narrative perspective. It is the perspective of the narrative which sets the tone and it is the tone which defines the true meaning of the text. IThe opening lines of a Leacock story are essential to guiding one toward the tone and meaning and one of the most comical demonstrations of imagery to convey the power of narrative voice is the opening of “Gertrude the Governess or, Simple Seventeen:
“It was a wild and stormy night on the West Coast of Scotland. This, however, is immaterial to the present story, as the scene is not laid in the West of Scotland. For the matter of that the weather was just as bad on the East Coast of Ireland. But the scene of this narrative is laid in the South of England and takes place in and around Knotacentinum Towers (pronounced as if written Nosham Taws), the seat of Lord Knotacent (pronounced as if written Nosh).
But it is not necessary to pronounce either of these names in reading them.”
