Three men in a boat are written by Jerome K Jerome. This story is based on Jerome’s friends and his real experience—— three Londoners are tired of work, so they decided to row their own boat to the countryside, escape from the noisy city. Jerome is known for his humorous novels. Three Man in a Boat is a classic example of it. George, Harris and Jerome make ridiculous jokes about clothing, food, and things we might never worry about. From my point of view, chapter 9 is the most ridiculous part of the whole book, which talks about how three Londoners played tricks on the other rowers on the river, and made fun of the tow-line workers.
First of all, Jerome’s way of thinking was ludicrous and unrealistic. The author regularly overstates the truth too much, and makes it dramatic and full of malicious. For instance, Jerome believes that tow-line is “strange and unaccountable”. Because the tow-line frequently twisted, he claimed that it was a “soul-revolting tangle”. But essentially, tow-lines help boats on rivers get back to shore faster and more convenient. Jerome definitely ignored the use of tow-line, he even felt proud about this “theory”! Another example in the novel is that when Jerome and his cousin got lost in Wallingford, Jerome kept describing the surroundings as “hobgoblins’ and" banshees ”. Afterward, he didn’t consider the solution to going to safe places. Instead, he kept hoping he was a better man so that he didn’t need to suffer this, and tried to convince himself that he was in a dream. Collectively, Jerome’s absurd thinking mode made easy things more complicated and created numerous unnecessary troubles.
In the meantime, the story also seems ridiculous with Jerome and his friend’s caustic language. Although the three men didn’t mean to hurt people most, their comic tone and subtle words present a hilarious scene. Evidently, Jerome has numerous contradictions in his words. Jerome once described the tow-line workers as “conscientious” and “respectable”, but for the next second, Jerome looked down at their fumble. Even when Jerome and his cousin were rowing a boat in the forest, he still didn’t alter his sharp tongue. While they were looking for the locker, Jerome didn’t trust his partner at all! When the cousin mentioned he didn't see any lock, Jerome ridiculed her by answering: “Are you sure what a lock looks like?” Afterward, Jerome even indicated he didn’t want to offense her. To the reader, this kind of venom is a punchline, but if it happens in reality, it can be highly absurd and unfriendly.
Moreover, George and Jerome commonly laugh at other people's mistakes and tough work, which is also one of the ludicrous aspects in this chapter. For example, when the fishermen struggled with their tow-line and different tools, Jerome showed a lot of interest in making fun of them. Which is ironic that when Jerome himself was in trouble with his cousin, he kept praying and hoping he had been a better man. However, George has done something even worse. On a dark night, he secretly tied a group of strangers' tow lines to their boat. The youthful men could only express their frustration when they found themselves towing George's boat for four kilometers. Surprisingly, Jerome responded that these youthful men are too stupid for them to pity, and didn’t show any regret or guilt. What George and his friends lack most is empathy. They only care about their own pleasure, which is based on the pain of others.
To sum up, no matter in the thoughts, language, or actions of these three "gentlemen", this chapter is absolutely absurd and ridiculous. The novel presents a sense of dramatic and humorous, which is attractive to the readers. George, Harris and Jerome are like 3 British Don Quixote, constantly making inconceivable behaviors. In fact, beyond the comicality, this story is also ironic. The three characters never consider others' feelings, which got them into trouble. If they were more reasonable and virtuous, their journey might end in a better way.
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