Tragedy and comedy in Mennonite life

It’s a Wednesday night and there is a good turnout at the St. Clair O’Connor Community, an intergenerational housing project in Toronto, where internationally renowned author Miriam Toews is present to share her experience as a Mennonite author for the Mennonite Heritage Club that meets there.

In much of Toews’s work there is a juxtaposition of tragedy and comedy. While she may not intend to write comedy, moments of humour emerge out of dark events. In Toews’s book Irma Voth, the girls escape from their home because of their abusive father, but it is amusing to go with them on their road trip and laugh with them as they learn to take on adult responsibilities, like taking care of their baby sister.

The interviewer, Magdalene Redekop, is also an author and former professor at the University of Toronto. As a part of her upcoming book, Making Believe: The Crisis of Representation, Redekop will include an analysis of Irma Voth, which is based on Toews’s experience as the lead actress in the 2007 movie, Stellet Licht (Silent Light).

Redekop is a specialist in Low German, and since many in attendance also know the language, she indulges in a Low German-themed question structure based on the fingers on one’s hand. Redekop’s questions for Toews revolve around comedy (little finger), Mennonite identity (gold ringer), the theme of shunning in Toews’s novels (long neck), Toews’ role in Stellet Licht (butter licker), and finally, the role of art in the Mennonite community (lice killer).

Redekop asks Toews, “What draws you to comedy? Do you consciously write it?”

“I don’t intentionally set out to write comedy,” Toews replies. “It’s actually the way I see the world. It’s dark and tragic. It’s also ridiculously absurd and funny.” Toews lived through some difficult experiences, including the early deaths of her father and sister. She explains that in her life comedy provides relief. She remembers many bouts of laughter and how nobody made her laugh harder or longer than her sister.

Toews ends Irma Voth with the two main characters sitting in a movie theatre in Mexico City watching the movie that they were a part of creating before they moved there on their own. The movie was filmed on their father’s farm, so naturally the producer recruited the two young sisters to help with translation and other odd jobs. When they finally see the movie, it is a beautiful culminating event where we see so much of who they were, who they have become and who they are becoming.

I couldn’t help but feel an uncomfortable laughter as I read the final scene. All those in the audience didn’t know this and they want to keep the girls quiet as they make comments throughout the movie: “When we saw the kids from our campo Aggie said ha! Look! It’s Aughte! And somebody behind us told her to be quiet.” Perhaps this comic scene is an example of the Mennonite penchant for comedy.

Before Redekop’s questions and discussion of comedy in Mennonite culture, I hadn’t ever thought about laughter’s place in my family life. I loved when my grandparents taught me Low German rhymes and I remember family gatherings where my cousins and I shared laughter.

Toews says that she does not intend to write comedy, but it comes out that way. There are tragic events in many of her stories, but laughter and absurdity usually follow. Even though she does not set out to write comedy, she does it very well. Her juxtaposition of tragedy and comedy is very true to life, and I think that is why her writing resonates with so many readers within and outside of the Mennonite community.