American Humor: A Study of the National Character

work by Rourke

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June 18, 2026

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Constance Mayfield Rourke's American Humor: A Study of the National Character (1931) is a seminal work that explores the distinctiveness of American culture. Rourke, a pioneering historian, argued that American popular and elite culture reflected a unique and vibrant tradition separate from European influences. Her research focused on defining the historical aspects of the American character through the interpretation of popular culture, making her work a classic in the study of American cultural history. Humor, in its various forms, serves as a stimulus that produces amusement and laughter, a reflex that, while lacking obvious biological purpose, can provide relief from tension.12

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Constance Mayfield Rourke
She is best known for American Humor: A Study of the National Character (1931). Considered a classic work of scholarship, American Humor examined both popular and elite culture and argued that American culture reflected a vital and rich tradition distinct from the European experience.
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She is best known for American Humor: A Study of the National Character (1931). Considered a classic work of scholarship, American Humor examined both popular and elite culture and argued that American culture reflected a vital and rich tradition distinct from the European experience.
Read More