Two wooden theatrical masks, one frowning and one smiling, rest together on burgundy velvet.

Original artwork, not a still

Mr. Sammler's planet ‧ 1976

Saul Bellow

Conquered people tend to be witty.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker proposes that people who have been defeated and ruled by others tend to develop a sharp sense of humour. Wit becomes a form of survival or quiet resistance when power is lost. The remark blends observation with dry irony about laughter under subjugation.

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