The social effects of engaging in humorous communication are considered in relation to the recognition and appreciation of humour. It is argued that a text can encourage a process-figured viewing arrangement by increasing the objective construal of the relay and, in doing so, enhancing a receiver’s feeling of proximity with a receiver. The role of the receiver in humour participation is also considered, arguing that their expectation of humour in reading a text can encourage their metaphorically spatial convergence towards the relay. It is proposed that, in literary reading, a text can enhance the role a receiver plays in humorous communication through stylistic features such as ellipsis and negation that require them to supply details of how the source of humour is construed. Literary works considered include: Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse, Mystery Man by Bateman and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.