After

In Australia, Gleitzman is well-known for his children’s books, most of which are filled with humor. Given the serious and historically oriented content of the Once series, readers might not expect After to contain much humor, but even in the midst of the devastating tragedies that the novels describe, the author uses different forms of humor to accentuate the tone of the various settings. Often, his humor is childlike, designed to reflect the psychological realities of Felix’s still-innocent mind. For example, as Felix consoles himself about having to give up his dream of finding a new set of parents, he compares himself to Dom, noting that the horse has not seen his parents in ages but still does not complain. Gleitzman engages the characters in funny banter as well, as when the partisans talk about how the war has disrupted their lives and expectations; one of the fighters remarks that he called a taxi a year before and it still has not arrived. As is often the case with people living through times of protracted suffering, the characters also employ a darker version of humor commonly known as “gallows humor.” A prime example of this occurs when the partisans try to convince Felix to use items stolen from Nazis who had first stolen them from people in the death camps; the remark is made that the previous owners no long have need of them. Felix also engages in ironic humor, as when he taunts one of the Hitler Youth about having stolen his bazookas and boots. Gleitzman uses humor in all cases as a way of inserting human emotions and perspectives into an inhumane world.