Comedy and Pathos Can Coexist Harmoniously in the Same Narrative

Storytelling, at its core, is our way of exploring both the outer and inner world, trying to make sense of it all. Stories grounded in lived experience strive to capture fleeting moments and evoke emotions that resonate with readers. In more realistic narratives, it’s not uncommon to blend comedic scenes with laugh-out-loud gags and poignant moments that stir sorrow or fear. Indeed, some of the finest genre novels, such as Stephen King’s 11/22/63 or Herman Raucher’s Summer of ’42 (which interestingly is a novel written after Raucher penned the screenplay for Robert Mulligan’s 1971 coming-of-age film to aid in its promotion), excel because both authors understand that comedy and pathos coexist in real life—and thus must also coexist in literature.

I came to understand the harmonious coexistence of comedy and pathos when I penned my novella Reunion: A Story – the inaugural book in the Reunion Duology – back in 1998. It was then that I crafted Mark Prieto, not only as Jim Garraty’s best friend and worldly “brother figure,” but also as a natural source of comic relief. While Jim possesses a dry sense of humor, the novella’s focus on his sense of loss and regret over choices made during his teenage years in the 1980s often leads him to brood. Therefore, Mark – named after my best friend from the late 1970s – delivers most of the story’s lighter moments, injecting humor into the narrative.

Reunion: Coda was always destined to have a lighter tone than its predecessor, so I aimed to strike a balance between humorous exchanges and scenes reminiscent of classic 1940s “weepies.” This balance is evident not just in the chapters set during Jim Garraty’s student days at South Miami High in the 1980s, but also in the Present Day timeline of the 2000s.

Real life is never an endless laugh fest, nor is it a nonstop valley of sorrows. True stories of World War II battles, such as Operation Market-Garden, include veterans and civilian eyewitnesses recalling humorous moments amidst the chaos of war. For instance, soldiers might share a laugh over a comically timed mishap or find brief amusement in the absurdity of their situation.

In Reunion: Coda, humor and pathos are intertwined in scenes like the one where Jim finds himself reminiscing about how Mark introduced him to Heineken beer on the night after their high school commencement, then winces over the angst he felt when Mark asked him if he saw Marty after the ceremony.  Another example is Mark’s witty banter during a serious conversation, which not only lightens the mood but also underscores the deep bond of friendship that sustains them through difficult times.

By weaving these elements together, I aimed to create a narrative that mirrors the complexity of real life – a tapestry of laughter and tears that resonates with readers on a profound level.

Here’s an example of the balance I struck between drama and comedy in the novel:

“So,” Mark whispered, leaning closer to me, “do you think you guys can pull off the Spring Concert with a new teacher?”

I set down my McArthur Dairy chocolate milk carton and sighed. I’d been in the Dade County Public Schools system for a long time, and I’d seen many teachers come and go over the years. Some left for personal reasons, some for professional ones, some for retirement, and some for death. But I’d never “lost” a teacher before the end of a school year, especially one that taught a course that I loved and excelled at. Mrs. Quincy’s sudden departure from Cobra Country felt like a cold splash on my face – shocking, numbing, and unpleasant.

Still, I clung to the hope that we’d end the school year with a bang, not a whimper. Mrs. Quincy had assured us that the concert was still on and that we should keep practicing our songs. She had also praised Marty and me for all the practice we’d put in for our duet and told us we’d be fine.

“Well,” I said, trying to sound confident, “we haven’t met Mr. Abner yet – he won’t be here till tomorrow. But Mrs. Quincy said the concert is still on the calendar, and she told Marty and me to keep working on our song.” I smiled weakly at Mark, hoping he’d buy it. He was my best friend, but he wasn’t in Mixed Chorus. He didn’t understand how much this concert meant to me. It was my last chance to shine as a Singing Cobra.

Mark held the last bite of his fish sandwich in his hand and looked at me intently. The fish sandwich was one of the few delicious things the school cafeteria served. Well, according to Mark, anyway. He chewed slowly and swallowed before speaking. “If Mr. Abner is half as good as Mrs. Quincy, it’ll be okay. It won’t be the same, but a decent teacher with good people skills can make a difference.”

I let out a long sigh. Mrs. Quincy was a tough act to follow, indeed. I pushed my empty carton of chocolate milk on the tray to the side and looked away. “Marty says she’ll practice with me whenever she can. But with midterms and term papers coming up, we won’t have much time to sing after school. Maybe once or twice a week, tops.” I tried to sound upbeat, but I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

Mark gave me a smug smirk and a waggle of his right eyebrow. “At least you’ll have more ‘together time’ with her, bucko.”

I shrugged. “Well…maybe.”

Mark patted my shoulder reassuringly. “Hey, don’t worry. As long as the Spring Concert is on, you still have a chance to sing that duet with her. What’s the song again?”

“‘Somewhere’ from West Side Story,” I said. “We haven’t figured out who sings what part yet, but I think we’ll nail it on stage. Mrs. Quincy said we sounded great the last time we practiced.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure out the ‘who sings what’ bit. How does that work, exactly? You two sing alternate verses, or what?”

“Yeah, something like that. Sometimes Marty sings the first stanza, then I take the second, or vice versa. We just can’t figure out which version to pick.”  I like spending time with her, I thought but didn’t say.

Mark gave me a piercing stare. “You know what you should do? You should ask her out on a date. It’s almost too late to ask her to the prom, Jim. That’s coming up soon.”

I glared back at him, hoping he would drop it. He knew how I felt about Marty: she was one of the most attractive girls in our class, and I was just a “history nerd” who was insecure about dating, romance, or sex. Kathy Maraschino had burned me in junior high, and I wasn’t ready to risk being rejected or betrayed by another girl.

“Mark, please. Not this again,” I said quietly but firmly. I didn’t want to argue with my best friend or get in trouble with Mr. Sterling, who was always lurking around the cafeteria.

Mark opened his mouth to say something else, then closed it again.

“Thanks,” I said, hoping he would let it go. “I appreciate your concern, but let’s not talk about Marty. At least, not about asking her out. Okay?”

Mark gave a reluctant nod. He looked a bit sad, but he respected my wishes. “I hear you loud and clear, Jim,” he said softly.

I changed the subject and tried to lighten the mood. “So, what about you and Debbie Voss? You’re still going to prom with her, right? She hasn’t changed her mind?”

“What? No way! She’s crazy about me, man. I’m Mark A-for-Adorable Prieto, remember? We’re going to prom together for sure. And we’re going to the movies on Saturday.”

“Nice!” I said enthusiastically. “What movie are you going to see?”

“It’s either Tootsie or E.T.: The Extraterrestrial. I’ve seen E.T. a few times already, but Debbie hasn’t. We’ll see how it goes.”

“Debbie hasn’t seen E.T.? Wow…she must be the only one in school…heck, the whole planet…who hasn’t seen that movie.”

“Look who’s talking!” Mark teased me. “You didn’t see Star Wars until months after it came out! Everyone had seen it a bazillion times by then!”

I laughed and shook my head. Mark always knew how to make me smile.

Mark guffawed good-naturedly. “At least you can still say you saw it in 1977.” He took a deep breath, then added in a more serious tone, “Anyway…I’d rather see Tootsie, but if Debbie says she wants to see E.T. phoning home, I’ll go along with it.”