But in this case it's a response produced in the negative register similar to the responses produced in the saloon.

在这次让人讨厌的举动中,理查表现得与在酒吧里一样。

耶鲁公开课 - 1945年后的美国小说课程节选

So there is this story about his Uncle Hoskins who takes his horse and cart with Richard in the back and drives it into the middle of the Mississippi River as a kind of practical joke on Richard.

有个故事是关于他的叔叔Hoskins的,他让理查坐在他的马车后,却连人带车掉到密西西比河里,这被作为了一个理查的真实笑话。

耶鲁公开课 - 1945年后的美国小说课程节选