The Comedian by John L'Heureux
"The Comedian" by John L'Heureux explores the complex journey of Corinne, a 38-year-old stand-up comedian who unexpectedly finds herself pregnant. As she grapples with the implications of motherhood on her burgeoning career, Corinne faces the suggestion of abortion from both her gynecologist and her husband, Russ. Throughout her pregnancy, she experiences an unusual phenomenon: the baby appears to sing, with melodies ranging from Broadway tunes to operatic arias, intertwining her internal life and professional aspirations.
As Corinne navigates her evolving identity, the singing baby becomes a symbol of her struggle and creativity. Initially dismissed as a sign of stress by those around her, she ultimately recognizes the singing as her own imaginative response to her circumstances. When faced with the possibility of a deformed child, her decision to have an abortion is met with a transformative moment that rekindles her humor and connections with audiences.
The narrative culminates in a powerful blend of emotional depth and comedic insight, highlighting themes of identity, motherhood, and the search for authenticity in both personal and professional realms. Through her experiences, Corinne's relationship with her art and her impending motherhood takes on new meaning, resonating with universal questions about choice, acceptance, and the complexities of life.
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The Comedian by John L'Heureux
First published: 1984
Type of plot: Magical Realism
Time of work: The 1980's
Locale: San Francisco
Principal Characters:
Corinne , a thirty-eight-year-old stand-up comedianRuss , her husband, a construction worker
The Story
Corinne and her husband Russ are surprised that she has become pregnant and are a bit nonplussed by her condition. At thirty-eight years of age, Corinne thinks she is a little old to be having her first child; the timing is especially awkward because her career as a stand-up comedian seems to be about to take off. Her gynecologist agrees with her and suggests that she consider having an abortion. Over the next few months, this question dominates Corinne's life.
Before long, however, the baby enters Corinne's internal conversation: The baby, she thinks, has begun singing. Sometimes the songs are Broadway show tunes, sometimes operatic arias. Although mystified and unable to explain the strange phenomenon, Corinne has trouble denying that it is really happening.
Three months into her pregnancy, Corinne begins to get bookings at comedy clubs, and it seems to her that the baby sings even more exuberantly just before her performances. She goes over well at one club but is not renewed because, the club's owner says, her humor is all mental stuff: It lacks guts or feeling. She is not surprised. Almost everyone in California smiles a lot, she thinks, but few seem to laugh much.
After Corinne tells Russ about the baby's singing, he tries to be understanding but concludes that the strange phenomenon is a sign that the pregnancy is overstraining his wife. He suggests that an abortion would probably be best. When she tells her gynecologist about the singing, he laughs and assumes that it is one of her typical jokes. When Russ presses her on the question of the singing, Corinne reluctantly admits that it is all in her imagination. The baby immediately stops singing.
When amniocentesis indicates that Corinne's baby will probably be deformed, Corinne decides on an abortion. During her initial pre-abortion examination, however, she finds herself sinking into darkness. She only manages to pull herself out of it when she shouts that she wants the baby after all.
Suddenly, Corinne's humor shows real feeling, and she begins receiving job offers from all the major clubs, whose audiences totally identify with her and her pregnancy. She has never been the sort of comedian to make fun of the way she looked or ridicule other people. Instead, she finds humorous things with which others can identify and still feel respected. Corinne now finds herself praying for her deformed baby, who sings all the time.
The prospective mother's sight is becoming overly sensitive to light, which seems increasingly to surround her. Soon the time comes for her delivery, and she drifts into a semiconscious state. She seems delirious, saying "please" and "thank you" constantly. The singing becomes more intense, the light brighter and brighter until she enters completely into the light.