摘要
Humor is needed universally. The ability to make jokes or to appreciate humor is both necessary for living a happy or smooth life. Different nations have different humors. The paper is to analyze the definition of humor, the difference between British and American humor, and take James Thurber＇s stories to show the typical American humor. The English appear to be deeply serious people. English humor is more conserved, subtle, and silent. The British are known for their sense of humor. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The key to understanding British humor is to know that the British often use ＂understatement＂. American humor tends to be more ＂obvious＂ and less oblique, and can sometimes be considered by other English speaking cultures to be over the top and ridiculous.
