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Feedback On Idiom Intervention
“ ‘Maybe you’re just too much of a smartass to bother with anything creative.’ ‘Smartass… does this refer to an intelligent donkey, or do you imply that the human brain is located in the gluteus maximus?” An entertaining and comedic piece, “Idiom Intervention” by Herbie Steinman created an atmosphere of absolute mirth for its readers. This story has no particular plot nor theme, yet it draws a reader in like light to a moth. There is not a single moment where the reader would not be laughing hysterically at the unawareness the foreigner, Afann, portrays towards Earth’s idioms. The complete seriousness shown by Afann, along with his lack of knowledge as to what a joke is, brings readers onto the floor as they laugh way too much on a joke that wouldn’t normally be funny. It is first shown in the very beginning when Afann fails to realize that the phrase Don’t let them get your goat is an idiom from Earth and not meant to be taken seriously in any way. From there, the story unfolds into a wonderful story that had readers crying from laughing too hard. The same comedy Steinman seems to incorporates into his story almost effortlessly is only strengthened by his use of only dialogue throughout the entire piece. This method brings readers into the moment the story is taking place, which, besides making the story more humorous, allows readers to feel the frustration Jorj (who is from Earth) feels as he attempts to explain what a joke is to Afann. However, despite readers being able to sympathize for Jorj’s frustration, they still laugh at the complete blindness Afann shows towards the emotions Jorj portrays. This also allows readers to understand that Afann is not from Earth and does not feel the way humans do, nor does he understand their way of communication. Overall, although “Idiom Intervention” by Herbie Steinman may, at times, get our goat, it is still a brilliantly made comedic story that builds on who its characters are and where they come from, despite not having anything other than dialogue throughout the entire piece. Readers will feel nothing but pure joy as they read the story that may make them want their own alien friend.
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