Three Men in a Boat, written by Jerome K. Jerome is a novel about George, Harris, J and the dog Montmorency taking a short vacation down the Thames river to boost their health. Throughout this time, the men laugh and share small stories of the past. The funniest story is the one about Harris getting lost in the Hampton Maze and also leading others into wrong turns and dead ends. When Harris first enters the maze, he thinks very much of the map and claims that he knows the way out. People start following him, however, after a little while, they realize they ended up where they started. Harris suggested that they start all over again which only resulted in them getting stuck in the center once again. The group eventually called for the keeper for help. However, the keeper was young and new and didn’t know the way out himself. Eventually, they just waited for the old keeper to come back and lead them out. This story is funny and ridiculous as much drama is caused all because Harris was over confident. Harris’s story teaches us many important lessons in a funny and enjoyable way.
Harris’s overconfidence caused him to mislead others and get lost himself. Sometimes we may think that a task is easy and that it shouldn’t take long to complete. However, that is not always true, as things can look harder than it is. Perhaps the Hampton Maze looks easy from the pictures, but when you actually enter it it can be much more complicated and different that what you expected. Harris entered the maze thinking that it was simple and easy and ignored his source of information. He also decided to boast that he knew the way out which resulted in a lot of people believing in him and following him. What makes this scene so ridiculous is the fact that it was Harris’s first time in the maze and he confidently ignored the map, volunteered to help others and claimed that he knew what was going on. In Chinese a perfect idiom to describe Harris is 不懂装懂, which means acting like you know something when you actually don’t. It is ridiculous to do something completely new and claim that you know how to do it and also volunteer to lead others whilst ignoring the given information and tools.
It is ironic how Harris claimed to know the way, but still used the map to find the way. Claiming to know how to do something means that you know how to do it without help fairly easily. Harris may have claimed he knew how to go through the maze and didn’t need the map, but in reality, it was his first time and he eventually realized that it may be better to use the map. Before entering the maze, Harris had a rant about how the map was useless and how it was misleading. It is ironic that after he said this and got lost, he decided to use the map. Harris also doesn’t seem to understand how to use a map as he produces it when he doesn’t even know where he is. A map is useless unless you know where on the map you are. If someone claimed that they knew how to do something, it would be ironic and funny to see them struggle and fail. It is also ironic that Harris needed the help of the maze-keeper in order to get out. Ironic scenes such as this one makes a story funny and entertaining.
Harris’s arrogance caused him to not admit that he was wrong and continued believing that he knew the way out. Nobody is right all the time. Sometimes, your ideas and thoughts are turned down because they are wrong and it is important to accept the fact that they’re wrong, back down, and perhaps apologize if you harmed others. It only makes you seem foolish if you continue insisting that you’re right. Harris made a fool of himself when he refused to step down and admit that he didn’t know the way out of the maze especially since he misled a group of approximately 20 people. Harris refused to admit his mistake and his arrogance made him look like a fool, adding more humor into the story. Being arrogant is a bad trait and sometimes, it can make us look like a fool and make a situation rather amusing to the viewer and crowd. Not admitting your mistake or that you’re wrong, can make you look stupid and we should avoid being arrogant. Being arrogant even though you know you're wrong can make one look like a fool and can be a rather amusing scene.
There are many features in stories that can make it funny and amusing. Stories can be funny as they are sarcastic, humorous, and ridiculous. Features that contribute to this can include when the main character is overconfident, arrogant, or when they mock someone and can’t do the action themselves. This particular short story of Harris getting lost in the Hampton Court Maze features many different aspects that make the story funny and amusing. Harris’s overconfidence and arrogance results in the story being amusing, ridiculous and ironic. Harris’s overconfidence not only caused him to get lost, but for a whole group of people to get lost. What makes the story even more amusing is when Harris gets lost and misleads others and refuses to admit that he is wrong and tries to cover up his mistakes. It is also ironic how he claimed he knew the way out, but even he needed the help of the maze keeper in order to get out. Harris and his cousin getting lost in the Hampton Court Maze is the funniest story told in Three Men in a Boat, a 19th century novel written by Jerome K. Jerome.
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