What's the role of self-deprecating humor in this novel, especially on the part of Betteredge the 'house-steward' narrator/character? So far, no other narrators/characters self consciously make fun of themselves, although Betteredge will describe the silliness or odd behavior of other characters. Which ones are not "clownish" and why? And how do these descriptions affect readers' judgements about various characters' reliability about the information and observations they offer?