How does Leper's humor function in the narrative?

• A. It shows carelessness.
• B. It masks fear and discomfort; later breakdown reveals mental health fragility.
• C. It signals manipulation.
• D. It has no purpose.

Answer: (B)

Humor here acts as a shield against fear and discomfort. Leper uses light, easy jokes to deflect anxiety about growing up, the pressures of the war era, and the awkwardness of group dynamics at Devon. By turning tense moments into humor, he protects himself from showing vulnerability and from inviting others to scrutinize his deeper worries. This playful surface keeps him approachable and nonthreatening, even as his inner unease grows.

That protective humor doesn’t stay intact once the pressures ratchet up. When Leper goes to war and experiences the training and stress that come with it, the careful front he maintains begins to crack. The humor fades, and signs of mental strain—paranoia, disorientation, and fragility—emerge more clearly. The narrative uses this shift to reveal how his internal fear and discomfort have not disappeared but have instead intensified, exposing a fragile mental state beneath the cheerful veneer.