Using Comedy to Explore War and Love in Fiction Writing

Photo by the Galt Museum & Archives

Stephen Lloyd Auslender’s Dick and Jane Go to War follows in the footsteps of various World War-era comedies and love stories. For storytellers, mastering comedy to explore war and love means learning how to balance emotional truth with the courage to find joy in darkness. This World War One aviation comedy love fantasy book captures the strange intersection of laughter and loss, showing that humor can be a powerful lens through which to understand the human heart.

It is a great example of how humor and romance can be woven together into an entertaining read on the absurdities of war. Beneath its outrageous wit and quirky characters lies a sincere reflection on multiple subjects. These include the problematic norms of the nobility during WW1 and WW2. The book also does an unabashed job of taking jabs at the hypocritical attitudes towards sexuality at the time. And furthermore, it does its own share in portraying the way people grapple with fear, duty, and affection in times of chaos.

Why Comedy to Explore War and Love Works

At first glance, the idea of using humor in stories about war may seem inappropriate or even disrespectful. Yet, throughout literature, comedy has been a way to reveal human resilience. And even during the greatest wars of the 20th century, comedy classics were being made. In Dick and Jane Go to War, the author embraces this contrast by showing characters who maintain wit and charm even as their world collapses around them. Their laughter is not ignorance; it’s defiance. It’s an attempt to preserve sanity and tenderness when everything else falls apart.

Writers who use comedy to explore war and love often find that humor becomes a universal connector. It pokes fun at the tyrants and the propaganda. The culture that brought about the wars is also caricatured. It shouldn’t be surprising that comedies released and set during this period are parodies. The balance between these tones keeps the story alive, dynamic, and deeply human.

Authors can study satire in war literature to see how exaggeration and irony are used to critique society while still exploring personal stories. When executed thoughtfully, humor allows writers to question authority, expose hypocrisy, and express emotional truth—all while making readers smile. Comedy does not erase pain; it gives shape to it, helping both characters and readers process the unthinkable.

Romantic Connection in Times of Conflict

Photo by Brett Jordan

Now, unlike comedy, romance amid war is unique in that it touches on emotional complexity. Hence, comedy in war and romance writing is great for presenting a shorthand for themes without diluting them.

In Auslender’s novel, the attraction between Reggie and Vivian grows stronger through shared moments of laughter. It started with potshots at the period’s understanding of sexual norms. Yet as they kept on meeting and bantering, the sincerity of their relationship eventually came to the surface. Both are depicted as genuine in their shared desire to break from it all.

For modern writers, this offers an invaluable lesson in comedy to explore war and love: laughter often exposes intimacy better than grand declarations.

A well-crafted joke or playful dialogue can carry the emotional weight of an entire romantic confession. This is particularly true in romantic comedy war fiction, where humor softens the edges of fear and danger. In these stories, love is not merely sentimental; it becomes an act of courage. By making each other laugh, characters resist despair and reaffirm their humanity.

Writers seeking to create similar chemistry can look to comic wartime storytelling as a model. The humor must always arise from the characters’ circumstances, and the irony and absurdism are at their best when placed well in a historical context. Subtle wit, gentle teasing, and situational absurdity make romance believable even in extreme settings. The laughter that emerges feels authentic—not as an escape from war, but as proof that love can survive within it.

Using comedy to explore war and love has also become a very tried-and-true way to keep readers engaged. The jokes from the characters are driven by a need to maintain their relationship amidst the farce that is war. Each successfully overcome obstacle becomes a medal of endurance. Every clever line is a promise that life, despite its cruelty, still offers beauty.

The Art of Balancing Humor and Emotion

Balancing laughs with love and war is perhaps one of the greatest challenges in fiction writing. Obviously, you don’t want the humor to trivialize the conflict. Still, you’re not trying to write a depressing tragedy either! (Not everyone is a Dostoevsky, after all). Auslender navigates this balance by letting humor emerge naturally from the natural, self-parodying nature of WW1 nobility. The result is authentic storytelling that captures the duality of life—joy and pain existing side by side.

Writers who study comedy to explore war and love can adopt this same principle. Humor should never serve as a distraction but as a revelation. A character’s ability to joke in a dire situation can reveal a number of things. It can reveal strength, as well as a poignant fact about real history. The laughter, in turn, mirrors the right kind of emotional response to it. This balance transforms a simple story into something layered and even profound.

Exploring humor and conflict in fiction can also open doors to deeper characterization. A witty general, a sarcastic nurse, or a flirtatious pilot can each represent different ways of coping with trauma. Their humor becomes their armor. Yet, when those defenses break down, readers glimpse the humanity underneath—the reason we laugh, love, and keep going.

An often-overlooked aspect of this balance is emotional depth through comedy. True humor in storytelling isn’t merely about punchlines. It’s a play on perspectives. By making readers laugh, a writer earns the right to teach them more. Exposing ironies and contrasting false narratives with the truth is what a lot of wartime stories are known for. A comedic iteration of that is no different. This rhythm creates powerful engagement, pulling readers into the emotional journey without overwhelming them.

When writers set out to capture both the chaos of battle and the tenderness of romance, comedy to explore war and love becomes a guiding light. It teaches them to write with empathy and restraint, to find meaning in irony, and to allow laughter to coexist with loss.

Finding Humanity in the Absurd

War and love are two of the most powerful forces in storytelling—both capable of bringing people to their knees and lifting them to greatness. Combining the two with humor is not only possible but profoundly effective. Stephen Lloyd Auslender’s Dick and Jane Go to War is another example of how, despite grim times, laughter can illuminate truth. It reminds writers that writing comedy to explore war and love is not about undermining tragedy but revealing the courage it takes to face it.

When done well, this technique transforms fiction into something enduring. Readers walk away not just entertained, but moved. They see themselves in the foolish, the brave, and the lovestruck. They learn that laughter and affection can thrive even in the ruins of war—and that’s the ultimate triumph of storytelling.

Don’t forget: You can get your own copy of Dick and Jane Go to War online at both Amazon and ReadersMagnet!